Oblivion
by SLTora
Summary: This is a repost of a story written years ago. About a boy with some identity issues and I honestly can't remember what I even wrote on here for a summary. Anyway, has to do with our favorite blond losing his memories and his rather screwed up mental journey of getting them back and remembering who he really is. Naruto-Sakura, not Hinata. Love ya Hina but you miss out here.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Just a heads up, I wrote this story, like . . . a really, really long time ago. I was PM'ed and asked if I'd repost it. So, here we are. I'll eventually get the entire story back up on here, unedited- like a rough draft and all that jazz.

Want a change of scenery? Interested in something NOT fanfiction. Check out my original story on Fictionpress s/3338630/1/Eldritch-Spiritwalker

My original work is located on Wattpad too. Not sure if I want to post this story on Wattpad though or not. I wrote this over 8 years ago - it's bound to be bad in places, have mistakes, and have some plot holes. Oh yeah, and most likely there are a lot of words in italic cause they're Japanese words and eight years ago I thought it'd be cool as shit to italic every single Japanese word. Repeatedly. For some stupid reason. It may be agitating, but I'm not fixing it. Call me lazy, but that was just how I wrote it back then.

Meh, welp, here it is. Comment if you want. If it's a comment worthwhile, I'll answer back or even make a page dedicated to the most worthy of comments . . . and the most epic roast. Have fun, enjoy, or not.

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**Disclaimer**: I did not create, nor do I own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because I imagined them from the inspiration of Narutoverse.

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**Chapter One****: Aobusato**

_**T**_he amber stone shimmered in its own haunting hue as she traced the engraved kanji with the tips of her fingers. The memorial held the name of all of those who fell in battle during the Fourth Ninja War, all who lost their lives for the village. One name, _Uzumaki Naruto_, was one of these names on the stone and it stood out among the many other names. His name should not be there, just as the memorial shouldn't.

"It's been a while, huh?" She sadly intoned, letting her hand rest atop the cold stone. "So much has changed, Naruto . . . it doesn't seem right anymore."

Holding her breath, she clenched her hand into a fist upon the stone. Her shoulders shook as she held back her emotion, forced back her sorrow, and stopped the tears from falling from her eyes. There was no time for crying. There wasn't even time for remembering lost friends. It was not the time for the guilt of promises they fulfilled, forgot, and even broken.

To dwell in the past was to ignore the future.

Well, everyone said that her future was bright. She was smart and clever, beautiful and strong. Everything that a good _kunoichi_ needed to be, she was. Being a ninja though, being a woman lost in a world that was slowly dying out, Haruno Sakura felt anything but bright. To be honest, she felt dull and cold ever since Naruto died.

He brought hope to those lost, warmed the coldest of hearts, and everything he interacted with changed for the better. Naruto had that power. No other ninja could even muster such determination or heart like Naruto did.

The will of fire . . . that is what Naruto possessed. The true will of fire that still burned, even though the brightest flame it ever produced was now gone.

"_Sensei_? Where are you?" called the soprano voice of a girl.

Sakura instantly knew the voice. It belonged to her female student, Tsukino Haruka, a timid twelve-year-old orphaned during the war who possessed unique and destructive chakra.

"She might not even be over here, _shikome_!" The loud voice of a young male shouted.

Haruka growled just as she whacked the boy upside his head. It caused the boy to yelp in pain. Sakura held in her laugh when Haruka put the more tactical, _ninjutsu _using student, Tachibana Hike, into place. Sakura was also sure that her other male student, Miyamoto Shahoumaru, shook his head at his teammates' antics. Shahoumaru was more reserved than the other two, and possessed a natural knack for healing, plus was amazing with a bow.

"Call me ugly again and see what else I do to you, Hike-kun!" Haruka snapped. "I don't make fun of your bright orange hair, so don't call me ugly!"

Sakura let out a sigh and smiled at the memorial. "You wouldn't believe how much they remind me of us back when we first assembled, Naruto. It's nostalgic . . ."

A soft breeze fondled her hip length, cherry blossom-pink hair as she closed her eyes again. A single tear escaped from Sakura's eye, but she quickly wiped it away.

"I'm sorry." uttered Sakura as she did every time before she left the memorial.

Leaving her guilt, her anger, and her regret behind, she quickly turned and then walked away to meet her _genin_ team. Forcing her mind off the memories of her past, Sakura forced a smile to her face and added a happy skip to her step.

She thought about the mission that her former _sensei_, Hatake Kakashi, the sixth _Hokage_ given her team. They had a good job this time. A C-ranked duty in another village, in another country, and it was just what her team and she needed. It would be a wonderful escape to get away from Konoha for a day or two. If the work lasted for a week, that would be even better. To leave Konoha behind forever . . . well, that would mean never looking back.

\- o-o -

The market buzzed with people of every different nation. People from the Village Hidden in the Sand were dressed in their neutral robes and _kaffiyeh_-a square cloth folded into a triangle and fastened over the head with a cord normally called an _agal_. They kept congregated in a group that moved like a slow drifting cloud to each station, buying only what they needed. They were not what you would call stingy, but more on the lines of conservative. People from Sand were usually interested in fine cloth, gems, and herbs. Their nation lacked spinners and weavers to make cloth, gems were scarce in their region and from the spread of postwar sicknesses herbs were on high demand.

Those from Earth Country were interested in timber and jewelry. Their country is full of trees along with lumberyards, but every industry is competitive. In the Earth vendor's eyes, the cheaper the product the better. Foreign jewelry always profited to those who traveled from the furthermost regions down to Earth for trade. They often stalked up on the silver and beaded jewelry that the witch Imuzumi sold next door.

Buyers from Cloud were dressed in their dark garb with hoods and mustard yellow belts. They too slowly stalked the booths and tables of vendors. They weren't interested in finery like most buyers. They were interested in larger bulk merchandise and precious metals. Currently, though, the two men were interested in what old man Jinriko sold. Why someone wanted to buy two hundred barrels of pickled radishes, Ichikita Yousuke, had not a clue.

"Are you just going to sit there, and watch everyone pass by, brother?"

Not even moving from his pose, Yousuke simply said, "Yup."

A smile creased his lips. He knew his younger sister Hazuki had probably just balled her fist on her hips and was sternly staring at him with her royal-blue eyes. He loved to downright piss his sister off. It helped pass the time, and hey! What were older brothers for?

"There are things to be done ya know." stated she, "Crates that need to be moved, stocking, helping!"

Yousuke nodded, kept his hands behind his head, and feet propped on the counter as he uttered, "Yup."

Hazuki in a fit of rage smacked the back of her elder brother's head and shouted, "Get off your lazy ass and help, Yousuke!"

He sat up in the chair and chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, making his sun-yellow hair messier.

"I swear that you do this just to agitate me!" grumbled Hazuki while she picked up a crate.

As Yousuke stood and streatched he said, "Yup."

Hazuki shrieked and shoved the crate into his stomach. Yousuke laughed as his sister stormed off into the back of the stand and busied herself with the evening orders.

"Go find Momo-chan, you moron!" Hazuki ordered.

As Yousuke watched her, he wondered if that were how their mother was when she was alive. Not the bossy sister-attitude that Hazuki possessed, but the ability to multitask and keep everything running so smoothly that it seemed extraordinarily simple when in reality it wasn't. Mother had to be like that. Yousuke couldn't quite remember.

Hazuki took the full burden of becoming the mother-like figure of the family from an early age. She cooked and cleaned, made sure everything was in working order, and that they had clean laundry. Hell, she even made sure they washed behind their ears and eaten all their dinner. Dad was always busy with his work and wasn't around often, and Mom she was . . . well she died.

Yousuke moved the crate of tomatoes to the front of the stand. He scanned the area, only for his deep blue eyes to land on a small petite figure. With her peachy-blond hair was pulled up into a bun and the girl wore a sky blue kimono. This was Momo, and at the moment her cheeks were a blazing red. She smiled rather shyly at the boy talking to her. It was odd to see someone talking to Momo being that she didn't talk at all. Not since their mother died. Momo wasn't exactly talking though. She smiled, nodded, shook her head no, and done her usual methods of communication with sign language. What surprised Yousuke was that the boy clearly understood her, even Momo's makeshift sign language.

With vibrant orange hair, the boy stood out among the crowd. His eyes were a deep green and matched his dark brown and hunter green sleeveless _judogi_. He had to be around Momo's age, she being twelve.

"Momo," Yousuke called, watching her attention instantly direct to him, along with the boy's. "Did you find a new friend?"

Vigorously she nodded with a bright smile on her face and peach pit brown eyes glistening happily. She quickly signed, "His name is, Hike. He is from Fire Country!"

"Oh, cool," Yousuke said as he began to refresh the bins of Roma tomatoes. "We don't _ever _get that many people from Fire Country _here_! I mean we are _soo, _far away from the border . . ."

Flatly, Momo signed, "Don't be sarcastic, brother."

Within merely a second, a fast blur of green and white appeared. Yousuke dropped his crate as he watched the flash move toward Momo. Only ninjas moved like that. He stumbled toward his youngest sibling, fear raced through his veins, icing his blood. If only he was fast as them and not so damn slow!

"NO! MOMO!"

Momo's eyes widened when the blur reached her. Wind rushed into her face, and the blur was suddenly at the girl. Hike suddenly slammed hard into the ground. The Ichikita siblings were expecting to see a shadowy ninja. Neither Momo nor Yousuke was prepared to see a girl with bright acid green hair wearing a white _haori_ to be the ninja. The girl's _haori_ reached her upper thighs, had long widening sleeves tapered with pink, along with the matching neon pink leggings, _obi_, headband, and gloves. The girl stood over the fallen orange-haired boy glaring at him.

"Idiot!" the girl screamed, with her hot pink gloved left hand clenched at him. "Sensei said not to wander off! We've been looking for you for an hour now! She's waiting back at the inn!"

Hike wiped the dribble of blood from the corner of his lip and proclaimed, "But there is so much stuff here! Don't you know that this place is legendary?! No one comes to Aobusato and doesn't buy something! This is one of the largest trading posts near Fire Country!"

"That may be, but we're not here for trade, Hike. We're on a mission." A boy said, calmly walking up to the two.

He kept his dark hair pulled up to a rat's tail at the nape of his neck and his violet eyes were indifferent. He wore all white: _hakama_ and _haori_-a traditional shrine keeper's garb. Upon his back draped a blood-red bow that was missing its drawstring.

"Ah, come on, Shahoumaru." Hike groaned. "You know you want to explore this place too!"

"Perhaps after our duty is complete, _sensei_ will let us have a day and wander the village, but for now we have bigger things to attend to. We are supposed to be meeting up with the county's headman. We can't do that if you are out running around, Hike." Shahoumaru calmly said. Shahoumaru bowed to Yousuke and Momo and said, "I apologize for my teammate's antics. They can become rowdy."

Yousuke pushed Momo behind him as he muttered, "Whatever. Just get lost from here."

"Hey, what's your problem anyway?" Hike grumbled, crossing his arms.

"You're a ninja." Yousuke plainly said. "We won't deny any customer, but I won't tolerate _shinobi_ loitering before my stand. I don't care if my father is a diplomat. If you're not buying something, then get lost. Now."

Hike was about to retort only for Haruka to slap her hand over his mouth. She said, "We understand, sir. Sorry to be of inconvenience."

Haruka and Shahoumaru dragged the angry boy away, while Momo's shoulders stooped sadly. Momo liked him. He was kind and didn't think she was weird. He even understood her.

"Oi, get that puppy look off your face, Momo-chan," Yousuke mumbled, as he ruffled her hair and accomplished to demolish that silly bun Hazuki always pulled the girl's hair into. "Ninja boys are no good. They're bad."

"He wasn't bad." Momo stubbornly signed. "You're the one who keeps telling me that not all _shinobi _are bad."

"True." Yousuke said, "but you know how Hazuki is. She hasn't had a good dealing with them, and unlike us, ninja frightens her. I can't protect Hazuki from her fears if you bring stray _shinobi_ home, Momo-chan. Even if they are children, they are still, ninja. They are still dangerous."

Momo sighed and nodded in submission. She untied her hair and let it fall past her shoulders as she wandered into the shadows of the stand. Yousuke went to refilling the barrels of fresh Roma tomatoes as another group of traders approached.

"We have eggplant, for only one ryou! Get some fresh peas, only two ryous a bushel!"

Yousuke spun around. He watched as the traders continued to shuffle through his produce and paid no heed to his competition, Tsubana Goro. Goro was an annoying little (or more less big) bastard. From a quick analysis of the ambitious twenty-five-year-old, Yousuke could see spite and simply jealousy in Goro's almost squinted shut, dark brown eyes.

Goro considered them rivals, while Yousuke considered them . . . well nothing.

In school, Goro held the highest seat until the end of the semester when Yousuke took his seat for the rest of their school days. Yousuke became a better student, better at languages, simply better at everything while Goro slowly further declined and bottomed out. Things became worst after they imprisoned Goro's father. Tsubana Morano once was _Sawa no Satos' _diplomat and part of the High Council of noble families, only for that title to be stripped away around six years ago. Yousuke's father now became Swamp Country's diplomat, already being one of the High Council and of noble blood. Ever since then, Goro has done all he could to bring Yousuke down, yet seemingly always failed.

"Evening, Goro-san." Yousuke called, waving as he smiled. "Cutting your prices again today?"

Goro cursed. He picked up an eggplant and pointed it toward his rival as he said, "It's only 'cause of your old man that you get such good business, Ichikita-sama. Mark my words! One day I'll reclaim my family's status-"

"Drop that _sama_ crap, Goro. It's really agitating." Said Yousuke plainly. He scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "I deal with only the best of imported plants and produce, and it is the best - it has nothing to do with my father. My fruits and vegetables are homegrown - organic. I can't help that people like my green thumb and rather buy locally than your imported produce rejects that are over a week old. Look at that eggplant you're holding. It's rotted."

Goro's face reddened as the eggplant he held threatened to burst. He suddenly threw it. Yousuke ducked. A gasp sounded and something fell to the ground. Cautiously he turned, only to see Hazuki slowly rise from the ground, eggplant creamed on her face and in her hair. Her aura heavily flooded the area.

"I swear to _Kami_ that it wasn't me!" said Yousuke quickly as he held his hands out before him in defense and backed away. "Tsubana-san threw it, and I ducked out of the way-"

"_**Move**_."

Instantly Yousuke obliged. "Please don't use the exports, Hazuki! Think of how much they cost! And to waste them on Tsubana-san? D-Don't . . . don't be rash about this! Put that down! Be gentle! You . . . You're a girl! Girls aren't supposed to-"

Enraged, Hazuki threw what she picked up with amazing speed and accuracy. Before Goro saw it coming, the coconut implanted into his face. He oofed before a pineapple crammed into his chest, followed by a slew of overripe tomatoes.

"Bastard!" hissed Hazuki with her shoulders tight and her eyes scowled dangerously. "It's going to take at least three days to wash this smell out of my hair!"

"It took two years to grow that!" Yousuke cried, looking at the pineapple that currently sat splattered on the ground. Looking at his sister he whined, "You have no heart!"

"Quit playing around and start packing things. We're going home. We're done for the day!" snapped Hazuki as she flicked eggplant from her hair.

She stalked to the back of the stand, and forcefully closed the curtains behind her. Momo's small form quivered as she had a large smile on her face from silent laughter. The peach-haired child bagged some pears and namesake for a customer who wearily watched the scene. Most of their customers were used to some type of exchange between the Ichikitas and Tsubanas. It was simply normal.

Yousuke sighed. "Gees, she's such a b-"

"I dare you to say it, Yousuke. I dare you." Hazuki's voice drifted from the back room.

"What?! I said that you need a dog, that's all!" Yousuke quickly countered, his smiling face causing Momo to laugh. "Come on, Momo-chan. Let's get this done before she blows another socket and pulls out the bullwhip. All we need is to end up like my poor fruit. They didn't deserve such a fate."

"You're so funny, brother." Momo signed her form jerking from what should have been laughter, only no sound vibrated from her at all.

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**Japanese Words**

Kunoichi: flower girl (or something in that sense), a female ninja

Shikome: ugly female

Judogi: judo uniform consisting of a loose jacket secured by a belt and loose pants

Haori: loose-fitting shirt

Hakama: loose pants

Obi: belt

**Japanese Name Meanings**

Tachibana Hike (wild orange, fiery hair)

Tsukino Haruka (moon field, far away)

Miyamoto Shahoumaru (base of the shrine, archery)

Ichikita Yousuke (market place by the tree field, sun harbinger)

Ichikita Hazuki (market place by the tree field, leaf and moon)

Ichikita Momo (market place by the tree field, peach)

Aobusato (green leaf village)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I did not create, nor do I own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because I imagined them from the inspiration of Narutoverse.

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**Chapter Two:** **Silence**

_**T**_he sun was close to setting by the time they reached their home. The wagon creaked; bells chimed happily with each bump from the dirt road that led to the barn. Yousuke walked before the large, black and white oxen. He whistled a tune while he held the lead line connected to the ox's halter. Hazuki hummed along with him as she sat upon the wagon on a stack of hay. Momo slept with her head in her sister's lap, her hands tightly clenched around a silken strip of fabric.

Once the trio reached the barn, Yousuke unhitched the ox and removed the yolk and halter. He turned it out to graze while Hazuki gathered some leftover vegetables into a burlap sack. _Yakitori would be excellent for dinner, along with some roasted squash and boiled cabbage and daikon._ she thought.

"_Chichi_ should be home today." sighed Hazuki as she slipped the burlap sack over her shoulder and began to the house. "I really hope he doesn't make us quit the stand and move back into the compound. I _do not _want guards constantly watching us again. I like this freedom and not having to be so noble all the time."

"Yeah." Mumbled Yousuke. He picked up Momo. The child wrapped her arms around his neck and continued to sleep, her silky cloth still tight in her hands. "This isn't bound to last forever though. Two noble families have already lost members. Someone is targeting the High Council, and that means that we are no exception, _imooto_."

"Yeah, I know. Okay, _ani_, I get Momo and me, being that I'm only seventeen, but face it, Yousuke. Why are you still here? Why haven't you gone to that university yet? Why aren't you shacking up with some girl or getting more involved with Dad's work? I mean you're a whole decade older than me–"

"So." pouted Yousuke. "Are you trying to say I'm old or something?"

"Duh."

"Gees, sis, I'm only twenty-six!" whined Yousuke with his brows narrowed and his pout causing Hazuki to smile and giggle.

"Still, Yousuke. Why are you here growing and selling produce of all things when there is a whole world out there beyond this one, waiting to be explored?" Hazuki asked.

Yousuke shrugged and said, "I'm keeping an eye out for my little sisters. That is my job as an older brother! I'm supposed to protect you two."

"Gees, but you're a wuss, Yousuke! You haven't won a single fight in your entire life. How are you supposed to protect us lower-nobles from _shinobi_, samurai, or even the common punk-loser huh?" Hazuki playfully teased.

His silly contorted face made her laugh as he mumbled, "That's not fair. Those punk-losers in school had an advantage over me! Most of them had some type of martial art training and I didn't! I had to use my magnificent brain power to get out of those messes!" He dropped the play, his face turned serious as he said, "And our status doesn't matter, _imooto_. Father is taking great bounds to establish stronger bonds with the nations around us. Sometimes great bonds build while coarser bonds chasm. Things with _Kusa_ haven't been going too well, so the High Council, Father and I all have to keep vigilant. Even if I must put my dreams on hold for a while to watch over my baby sisters, I'll humbly do so. Lower nobles or not, there are possibilities that we are targets too, Hazuki. Just remember that."

Hazuki looked away, her lips pursed together in rejection. Being noble-even lower noble in all honestly sucked. They were not allowed beyond the compound unless escorted by a guard. She couldn't sit slumped either. Her shoulders always had to be up and perched, as a proper woman should be. Yet what Hazuki hated most were the layers of _kimonos_ she had to wear when in the presence of other nobles. That all changed after Mother died . . . after everything went to hell.

Hazuki loved the secluded life they lived now. No compound or guards, no rules, no postures . . . just the rustic little farmhouse nestled between the hills with nothing but fields of the growing bounty around. No guards were giving her haunting images of dead bodies strewn across the courtyard. There were no tears or pain from being left alive to endure the loss of her innocents. The compound was not burning to the ground. No mother being tortured right before her eyes . . .

Hazuki could almost smell the sick smell of smoke mingled with the awful stench of burned human flesh from that night ten long years ago. She entered her house and found it oddly misty or was it smoke? The smell of burn was so strong. Hazuki smelled the air, only to cover her nose. She didn't imagine the smell.

"Hazuki, do you smell that?" Yousuke asked as he walked up the cobblestone path with Momo securely in his hands.

The burlap sack dropped to the floor. _Daikon_ and cabbage rolled out from it. Hazuki froze, instantly solidified against the body of the person that grabbed her. Her teary eyes stared across the kitchen to where two other shadowed figures stood. She didn't have to look at their _hitai-ites _to know that they were ninja. The ninja kept his hand over her mouth and made her unable to warn her brother of the danger on which he was about to walk into. It wouldn't matter anyway. She couldn't scream if she wanted too. Her voice was gone.

"Hazuki?" Yousuke mumbled as he stepped into the house.

Momo shifted and fluttered her eyes open. At that exact moment, a man clobbered her brother with a club. Yousuke's arms loosened around her as he slumped. She slid out of his grip and fell onto the floor, as everything seemed to go in slow motion. Her eyes widened upon the blood that dotted her face when the man struck Yousuke again. Yousuke blankly fell to the floor. Blood oozed from the wound on his head, his eyes were blank and faded.

Momo's breathing quickened as she stared horrified at her brother. "Brother?" she signed. "_Onisan_? Yousuke? _Yousuke_?" she crawled to him, shaking his shoulder as tears leaked from her eyes. Frantically she tried to call to him, but her voice was only strained air.

"Damn, Houssay. I think you killed him." chortled the man that held Hazuki.

The bulky man named Houssay laughed, "Isn't that what we're here to do anyway, Jinirou-sama?"

"_A-Ani_?" Hazuki whimpered as she stared at him. _N-No way! _Hazuki thought as she stared at her brother's still form. Her eyes wanted to believe that he was still breathing and that it wasn't the wind outside just blowing his shirt. That her brother's eyes were not clouding in death.

Hands traveled down her body as Jinirou whispered into her ear, "Then again, we can have some fun from this one before we kill her."

Hazuki buckled, her stomach expelled what was within as she cried. The ninjas laughed. Harshly Jinirou pushed her into the kitchen counter and spread her feet apart. The ninja fiddled with her pants. Tears leaked from her eyes as her body racked with a sob. Her body rejected it. Her mind rejected it. She wanted nothing to do with this.

_Not again. NOT AGAIN! I'll die before I let them. I'll die! _Instincts took over. She screamed, stomped down on the man's foot, and then snapped her head back hitting him square on the nose. He released her, stumbled back, and held his bleeding nose.

"She broke it!" Jinirou screamed in pain. "She broke it!"

"Momo!" Hazuki shouted to catch the stunned girl's attention.

Hazuki grabbed Momo and dashed into the living room while the other two ninjas crowded around their leader. Hazuki looked up the stairs and thought of possible escape routes or places to hide. At the top of the stairway awaited their nanny, Nayukiko. The ninjas hung her, and Nayukiko's corpse still emitted smoke from when they ruthlessly charred her body.

"Oh my God . . . D-Don't look. Ju-Just don't look." Hazuki told Momo.

The younger girl couldn't take her eyes off the burned corpse though. She couldn't help but feel, that their fate would soon be as Nayukiko's. Momo clung tight to her elder-sister as the elder dragged her quietly through the house. Hazuki rushed into the dining room and pushed on part of the wall. It slid open. She forced the quivering Momo inside and then entered the secret compartment herself. The door silently slid closed.

Father rigged the house with these rooms just in case something as this happened. Not only were their hidden rooms, but also tunnels that lead out of the house to safe places. Memory guided Hazuki as the drills that her father constantly put them through of the house's hidden labyrinth surfaced.

If only she could calm her nerves. Her entire body quivered as she ran her hands along another wall. She kept glancing over her shoulder to the panel in fear that it would open and the foreign ninjas would find them. A finger-sized hole brushed along Hazuki's fingertips and she pushed her finger into it. Another panel near the floor opened.

"Come on, Momo." Hazuki whispered.

She helped her sister into the cramped area and then Hazuki slid in after. The panel slid closed as if by magic. Taking hold of a rope, Hazuki began to pull on it. The box they were in began to move to the left and slid effortlessly across the tracks without a single sound. They rode the track between the walls as ghosts. Once they could travel no more, another panel slid open.

"Come on, we'll be safe in here for now," Hazuki whispered to Momo.

Hazuki rose into the room that could hold no more than three people. Momo pulled herself out and looked around. Light filtered in from a vent outside. The sisters stopped when they heard voices from below them. They could hear three voices. One was of the man that held her, Jinirou. The other voice belonged to the gruff man, Houssay, and then an unknown feminine voice.

"They just disappeared." The woman said.

Houssay said, "Yeah. I figured they'd stop dead when they saw that whore hanging in the hall."

"They couldn't have gone far." stated Jinirou. "Little bitches . . . "

"Come on." Hazuki signed. "Keep going, Momo. Don't stop! Go through the tunnel."

Hazuki lifted Momo to the banister above them. The child scrambled to a square opening and crawled inside it. Sounds, bumps and muffled voices neared, forcing both girls to freeze and stare at each other horrified. Hazuki shook it off and began to pull herself up when the floor beneath her gave way. She screamed and dangled from the ledge. Quickly she pulled herself up and forced Momo into the small opening when she threw herself into it. Pain rushed through her left shoulder, but Hazuki ignored it. She quickly crawled in after Momo into the hidden crawlspace.

Something padded along the wall, the sound echoed within the crawlspace. The light became blocked. The _kunoichi's_ hand reached in and grasped hold of Hazuki's foot, only for another to latch onto her ankle. Hazuki yanked back.

"Keep going, Momo!" Hazuki screamed as she dug her nails into the wood when she slid back.

"You're not going anywhere, girl!" the female ninja snickered, her feet braced against the wall as she used chakra to keep her gravity defying feat active. She yanked on Hazuki's ankle, as she laughed, "Just like noodling a fish out of a cave!"

Hazuki pulled herself back in and glanced back at the crazy white-haired witch. A lever caught her attention. With a yell, Hazuki brought her free leg back and kicked the lever with everything she had. The wide-eyed look of the female ninja burned into Hazuki's memory when the guillotine dropped. Fingers moved on the severed hand. Hazuki couldn't help but scream. She kicked the appendage from her, trying to calm her hysteria as she closed her eyes. Her brown hair fluttered into her face as she wished this nightmare would end. _Keep going. _She urged herself. _Do it for Yousuke. Do it for Momo because she still needs you! _Tears reddened her eyes and Hazuki panted and crawled deeper into the crawlspace. She came to another room.

"I'm going to kill you! KILL YOU!" the woman's voice echoed down into space.

A loud crash caused both Hazuki and Momo instinctively to move to each other. Momo's arms snaked around Hazuki's torso and hugged tightly.

"This is a nightmare." Hazuki cried as she rubbed her face and thought of what they could do to escape. "What are we going to do . . . What can we do?"

The hidden panels and crawlspaces were only going to get them so far. They had to get out of the house and into the safety of town. Hazuki shivered upon the cold smooth steel that rested in her shoulder. She wrapped her fingers around the handle of the _kunai._ She began to pull the blade out, just as a hand clasped onto her shoulder.

"BITCH!" the _kunoichi_ rasped.

Hazuki pushed the woman's hand from her, and then slammed the small crawl way door closed. The female screamed in pain when her wrist cracked, a sign that it was broken. Hazuki leaned back on the door, forgetting the _kunai_ in her. The door snapped closed. Frantically the sisters sealed the room off by dropping a large board into slots before the crawlspace. Hazuki groped the wall. She found a flashlight within its designated holder upon the wall. She clicked it on and looked to Momo.

"Go down the tunnel. Go to the room where only you can hide. I'll be there shortly, okay." Hazuki signed, while Momo shook her head, her eyes full of fear. "I'll be okay." Hazuki cried. "I'll be okay, so go. Do this for Yousuke okay. He'll guide you and I promise I'll be right behind you. I promise."

Momo shook her head again, only for Hazuki to force the girl toward the boxed tunnel. She pushed Momo in, tossed the flashlight, and then blocked the end off. A loud bang caused her to turn back to the barricaded door. The board that held it closed buckled. Quickly Hazuki looked around the area. She slid to the floor and began to cram herself into a thin space between the tunnel and floor on which she stood.

She became completely still when the crawlspace door burst open. She couldn't stop shivering as she watched a shadow slither onto the wall and hear the hissing breaths of something vile nearing. She couldn't stop shaking damn it! Hazuki gasped when the once stable floor beneath her once again gave way. Air rushed from her lungs as she landed on the floor of the living area. Dazed she looked up into Jinirou's bloody face.

"Ah," Jinirou chirped. "Found you."

His foot stomped on the _kunai_ and pushed it though her. She screamed with her fingers curling as the _kunai_ stopped when it hit her shoulder blade's bone. Blood splattered, only then to ooze from around the dark blade. The _kunai_ cut into her collar bone, pierced an artery, but missed her lung and was far from her heart. The pain though, it was excruciating.

"STOP!" Hazuki screamed as she panted with pain. Pleadingly she whined, "Please stop! Please! Please . . ."

He kicked her and Hazuki tumbled back into the opposite wall. She became dazed and breathless as she tried to push herself up. At least Momo was safe. That was all that mattered now . . .

"Hmm. How disappointing. I like to hear my targets beg for mercy and at least fight back more than what you are." The man sighed. He picked Hazuki up by her hair. "Though, your profile tells that you shouldn't have fought back at all. You freeze up every time you near a _shinobi_. How pathetic you really are though. Where is the other one?"

Hazuki looked up at the man dazed. "What?"

"Tisk tisk," the ninja sighed. He smacked her causing her to shriek. "The other girl. Your sister. Where is she?"

"Who?" uttered Hazuki stubbornly as she glared at the man, wishing him death.

The ninja sighed. "If this is how you truly demand to play, then I'll play."

He grabbed her face and slammed the back of her head into the wall. He kneed her, backhanded her, and then threw her to the floor. Hazuki's vision burred and pain ricocheted throughout her. He forced her up, about to strike again, only to startle when a loud crash came from behind him. Something large barreled through the wall behind him. The man leaped away, dropping Hazuki when the large form tumbled directly at them and then broke through the next wall coming to a stop out into the front lawn. Dust scattered while splinters of wood clanked to the floor.

"What the hell?" Jinirou growled. "Houssay?"

The large man who welded the club did not move. He kept his awkward position on the ground; Houssay was dead. Jinirou jerked when a powerful _ki_ filled the air. His knees wobbled slightly but he clenched his fist and narrowed his eyes. The Ichikita girl vomited again and then inched away as she couldn't handle the pressure and killing intent this new opponent expelled. Jinirou turned to dodge the kick that could have well taken off his head. The ninja then turned to his opponent and narrowed his eyes.

* * *

**Japanese Words**

Chichi- verbal reference to father

Imooto- younger sister (normally it's spelled, imoto, but the o after the m is supposed to have a macron over it (a line) indicating that it's a long o. So, being that I can't put a macron over the first o, the correct way to spell it would be to add the extra o, turning imoto into imooto)

Ani- a verbal reference to the elder brother

Onisan- elder brother


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I did not create, nor do I own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because I imagined them from the inspiration of Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Three:** **The Power to Protect**

"_**Y**_ou are going to love the farm. It is so peaceful and contemporary. My children have really made the place their home. I think you should get along well with them, but I'll warn you. They are not too kind to _shinobi_ or at least Hazuki isn't. Yousuke sides with her trying to protect her, while Momo, well . . . she is open and curious about everything. She's special, my little, _hime_."

Sakura nodded, watching the _Sawa_ Diplomat smile as he continued to walk ahead of them in his civilian wear and not a worry shadowing him. C-ranked duty: guard the Ichikitas. It didn't sound hard at all . . . only it brought back memories of her first C-ranked mission in the Land of Waves. It turned out to be an A-rank duty. Sakura really hoped that history didn't repeat itself.

The threat on her client's family wasn't a large one, therefore the low mission ranking. The Ichikitas were lower nobility and probably wouldn't be attacked, not when two of the prominent heads had already been reached, yet easily deflected.

Ichikita Kenji in all senses was goofy man in his late forties. His easy-going attitude is what made him a great diplomat and aid to his country. He was average in height and had long, wavy ash-brown hair in a low ponytail on his back. His eyes were a placid blue and there was a kindness to his stubble face, childlike nature, and serenity that most men of his stature didn't have.

"Ahh, the air is so fresh out here!" Kenji happily sighed. He sniffed the air and a funny look appeared on his face. "That's odd. I smell smoke."

Hike nudged his _sensei_ and lowly asked, "Are you sure this guy is noble?"

"Of course he is." Haruka snapped back in a whisper from the other side of their teacher.

Approaching the hilltop, Shahoumaru slowed, eventually stopping in his tracks. His teammates looked back at him and they too stopped. This made their talkative charge turn back to them and look at them curiously.

"The house is only another few yards–"

"I detect an imbalance," said Shahoumaru plainly as he looked up into the brown hazed sky. "Something has awakened."

"Haruka-chan, tell me what you sense," stated Sakura as she turned to the girl.

"_Hai_, _sensei_." obeyed Haruka in a grave voice. The girl closed her eyes and let her body relax. Haruka channeled her chakra and opened her eyes that glowed with acid green energy"I sense two level-one chakra types: civilians. Three level-three types: _chuunin_-wh-whoa. Wait! One of them just vanished! It vanished." Her voice quivered slightly. "Th-There are o-only two level-three chakra signatures now an-and one that is . . . It's a five. Definitely around ka_-kage_ level, _sensei_. This chakra. It's . . . It is stronger than yours is, _sensei_. It's way more potent than Hokage-sama's, or Kazekage-sama's!"

"What?" uttered Sakura perplexed as she looked at Haruka.

Kenji asked, "Is something wrong?"

"I believe that your children are under attack, Ichikita-sama! There is no time to explain!" stated Sakura as she rushed ahead. "Team thirteen, standard formation twenty-one! Deploy!"

In blurs, the four Konoha _shinobi_ vanished. Leaves fluttered to the ground as a soft breeze rushed past the confused and worried Kenji.

"W-Wait!" shouted the man as he too began to run. "Wait for me!"

* * *

"_You_? You're still alive?"

Jinirou's opponent didn't respond, instead, he charged. Jinirou dodged the first punch, but the young man's knee connected, along with the uppercut that flipped the bewildered Jinirou into the air. A roundhouse kick sent the dazed _shinobi_ to the other side of the room.

"You-Yousuke?" Hazuki mumbled in a quivered voice.

He did not answer. Instead, he blocked Jinirou when he came at him with two _kunai_ drawn. Yousuke's hands, his feet, his eyes, his body, his muscles, his nerves: it all moved on their own accord. _Kami_, he felt as if he were high!

Jinirou's hands moved slow, enabling Yousuke to block the first strike and then disable the _kunai_ from the _shinobi's_ left hand with a simple flick of the wrist. An elbow into the gut caused the ninja to double over in pain. Yousuke turned, taking hold of the ninja's right wrist. Then he twisted the _shinobi's_ arm round and wrapped around the man's back. Both of Yousuke's hands were now on Jinirou's right that still held the _kunai_. Without a single word spoken, Yousuke shoved it deep into Jinirou's chest. The blade effortlessly broke through the cartilage and pierced right into Jinirou's heart. Yousuke let go, and the ninja fell dead to the floor.

With a blood-stained face, Yousuke turned to Hazuki. An expression was on his face that Hazuki had never once seen on her brother's face before. Such anger and rage . . . when Yousuke moved toward her she couldn't help but whimper and try to move from him. This caused Yousuke to freeze in place.

"You alright, Hazuki?" he asked with a low trembling voice.

Hazuki shook her head. "No, _ani_, I'm not okay."

Within an instant he moved. Yousuke slid to her side, and even though Hazuki jerked back from him he pushed her dark hair from her face while he kept his face impassive of the damage. Blood began to drip from his lip; he was biting it so hard. She must have looked bad because although his face could mold a perfect mask, his eyes were always vibrant with emotion. His eyes were like transcending pools of liquid sapphire, expelling worry, guilt, and anxiety.

"You need a doctor." He breathed out. "You're in shock."

"I'm okay," She lied. Hazuki forced herself to sit up, instantly it sent horrible jolts of pain throughout her. "I think my left leg is broke . . . and I have something in my shoulder.

"Fuck," Yousuke whispered, looking at the handle of the blade. "I'm not taking that out. No fucking way, Hazuki."

"It's probably best that you didn't." she admitted as she fingered the ring of the handle. "If we try to take it out, I'll bleed to death." She winced as she tried to push herself up. "I can feel that it's already starting to fester and infection will grow. If the infection isn't contained, it might go into my bloodstream and I'll die."

"You're not going to die, so stop fucking talking like that alright!" snapped Yousuke as he scowled at her.

"How would you know!" she argued as tears began to well in her eyes. "The knife has to come out! But if we take it out I'll bleed out! There aren't any doctors close by, Yousuke! We're out in the middle of nowhere, _ani_, and we have no idea if anymore ninja are out there waiting for us!"

"I know that!" grumbled Yousuke as he grimaced. He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously as he said, "We have to get out of here . . . to town somehow."

"Yousuke," mumbled Hazuki.

He continued on ranting. "I'll carry you all the way there if I have to. If I hurry, I might be able to get you to the hospital."

"Yousuke!"

"What damn it!?"

"Are you all right?" asked Hazuki.

He blinked at her stupidly, and then looked away from her. Yousuke took a deep breath and the energy around him seemed to calm. The pressure in the room deminished, and Hazuki didn't feel as sick.

"Yeah. I think so." muttered Yousuke.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

To Hazuki, her brother didn't look good at all. Smeared with blood on one side his sunny yellow hair has seen better days, and his usually tan skin looked hauntingly pale. It made the whisker marks on his face stand out more than what they normally did.

Yousuke nodded and said, "Yes, _imooto_, I'm okay."

Hazuki shook her head and rose her hands up to his face. She ran her fingers along the whisker-like lines on his face. It was something she hadn't done since she was eight or nine . . .

"_Ani_, what happened? How did you–"

"I don't know." he breathed out as he looked to his shaking hands. "I-I could just do it. I didn't think. My body moved on its own. It was like something suddenly just snapped." He shook his head. "This is fucking crazy. I feel high!"

"You just killed someone and you feel high?" drawled Hazuki with her eyes scowling in worry.

"No! I didn't mean it like that! Come on, _imooto_, this is still me. It's still your big brother. Don't be scared of me, okay. Please." said Yousuke quickly with his eyes wide as he grasped her hands. His eyes screamed for acceptance, and for her not to be frightened. "I just don't know what is going on. It's like my reflexes are doing what they want to do on their own. My senses are whacked out, and I just feel high. Like, I don't know. High. Nothing hurts, my mind is clearer and it's like I'm invincible or something, and I feel–fuck I feel high! I can't explain it!"

Hazuki sighed and looked to the floor. He was seriously stressed out. Yousuke didn't normally cuss unless he was really mad or completely paranoid and confused. He was trying to calm down, only it seemed that he couldn't.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful for you protecting me, brother. I'm just a little freaked out right now." Hazuki said as he turned to her.

"No shit, you're not the only one." muttered Yousuke as he slid his hand down his face. He then snapped his head back up. "Where is Momo? We need to get out of here before more come."

Hazuki pointed to the broken ceiling above. Yousuke looked up and without much effort, vanished beyond the darkness of the secret chamber with a single bound. It made the hairs on her arms stand on end. Never had he been able to jump like that. Never had he ever _moved _like that before. Yousuke wasn't a fighter. He might have been athletic, but when it came to fistfights or all-out brawls, he _always_ lost. He didn't have the coordination, speed or even the eyes to follow in a fight. Never had he won a fight in his life, and his short temper naturally pushed him into physical confrontations – all where the shit was kicked out of him. Even when it came against Goro who even thought had the girth and size of a sumo wrestler, was still quite weak, Yousuke lost.

To see Yousuke like this made Hazuki shiver. He was so fast, fluent, and as if he did it all his life. Yousuke had never _ever_ been able to do any type of martial art in the past. For him to suddenly just to be able to do it worried her. On top of that, he killed two people. Two lives were taken by his bare hands. Yousuke's _bare hands_.

Without a sound, Yousuke landed on the floor in a crouch with Momo in his arms and her lilac silky still tight in her hands. Her peach pit brown eyes were wide with surprise, yet content and excited about her brother's new agility and ability. It frightened Hazuki, because he moved just like _them _now . . . like a ninja.

"Hazuki. Hey, _imooto_! Do you hear me? Come on." whispered Yousuke as he shook her out of her trance. Momo watched her from over his shoulder as she now sat piggyback with tears welled in her eyes. "Come on, I'll carry you." said Yousuke with a smile.

"Oh no." said Hazuki as she glared at him. "I am injured enough thank you."

"Now really isn't the time for you to worry about my clumsiness, Hazuki. I can hold you, and I will carry you." He stated, his voice daring her to challenge him.

She took a deep breath and submitted by nodding her head. She closed her eyes when he lifted her up as if she weighed nothing. It was so gentle that it didn't jar her wounds or injuries or make them hurt at all.

"I wonder what the doctor will do to treat me." Hazuki wondered aloud, her eyes glistening.

Yousuke grumbled, "You're delusional right now to be wondering such crock in the situation we're in. Must be the shock."

"At least I'm not high." she giggled weakly in response.

Yousuke flatly said, "That's not funny."

Momo held onto Yousuke tightly from her piggyback position as they began their way out of the house. He moved in fast blurs to places that would hide them. Alert eyes constantly looked around and his head turned to each unnatural noise that Hazuki and Momo couldn't even hear. Upon reaching the orchard and back fifty acres, Yousuke stopped dead in his tracks. Smoke filled the air and was strong outside. Yousuke wanted to collapse to his knees. The fields were on fire. The wheat and corn, rice fields, squash patches, the orchards . . .

"They destroyed everything," he blankly said. "Everything is gone."

Hazuki said, "There were only three in the house though, and nothing was on fire out here when we first returned home."

"That means there are more _shinobi_ here." said Yousuke as he narrowed his eyes.

Ringo bellowed. The siblings turned to the large ox that had escaped his pen. He trotted past the large open barn; it too burned restlessly and curled jet-black smoke into the air.

"The kittens!" Momo signed, tying to squirm off her brother's back.

He calmly said, "Don't worry about them. They're fine. I'm sure Ung moved them already."

She stopped squirming. Momo's lip began to tremble before tears leaked from her eyes. Gripping onto Yousuke tighter, she hid her face into his hair and cried.

"I need to get you both someplace safe," stated Yousuke as he scrutinized the area.

"N-No!" Hazuki argued as she stared up into his eyes. "Don't even think about it. We're not splitting up. We are all sticking together, _ani_. Together."

He was about to argue until he shifted and caught a hand aimed for the back of his neck while lifting his knee to keep Hazuki balanced and in his grip. Twisting the wrist in his grip, the man screamed upon hearing the crack of his wrist. Yousuke bunted his sister up; she yelped as he quickly shifted her to his side. With agility a cat would envy, Yousuke kicked the man away, the force sending the ninja tumbling into the barn.

Hazuki screamed when he spun around and suddenly had Momo crammed on her. He crouched, squashing them to the ground.

"A-_Ani_?" groaned Hazuki as the shock began to wear off and pain continued to seep throughout her.

He grunted as he circled around them tighter as thudding sounds came from somewhere behind him. His eyes closed tightly, his face scrunched in pain. A _shuriken_ stuck into the ground, and Hazuki realized what he was doing. Yousuke was using himself as a shield.

"Damn it what are you doing?" she slapped her hand against his chest as she glared up at him with tearing eyes.

"Protecting you, as I should've before," uttered Yousuke as he stared down at her sadly. "That is my job as your _nisan_. I couldn't protect anyone last time . . . _Haha_ died because of my weakness. If . . . If I can use this power to protect you, I will. Older brothers protect their little sisters. That is why we are born first. Don't worry, _imooto_. _Ani _can protect you this time. I promise."

"You-Yousuke . . . " she whimpered, as he rose.

Hazuki pulled Momo closer to her and watched as he smiled in a carefree way and said, "This time, I can fight back."

Yousuke turned and glared at the group of _shinobi _who appeared. He flexed his back, causing some throwing stars to fall from their wounds. Cracking his neck, a smile creased onto his face.

"Which one of you losers threw those damn throwing stars at me, eh?" he asked, pointing to the lot.

A man stepped up who wore a traditional ninja garb that concealed his face on the exception of his eyes. "I did. What are you going to do about it, punk?"

A gasp erupted when the ninja flew back and Yousuke stood where the ninja once was. He was in a crouch, right elbow extended, dust and leaves billowing into the air. Yousuke smiled wider. "This."

As an angry swarm of hornets, the ninjas were on Yousuke. Large ones, small ones, tall ones, short ones, experienced and new, Yousuke tossed them to the left or right, and even into the air. Twelve _genin_ to _chuunin_ level _shinobi_ though was a little much for Yousuke to take on alone.

One ninja grabbed Yousuke's left arm while another gripped his right. Another took the liberty to use his stomach as a punching bag. Before the finishing blow with a _kunai_, Yousuke managed to kick the puncher in his face, only to then literally run up the dazed ninja's body and flip over his captors. He brought their heads together in mid-flight, knocking them out.

Yousuke prepared himself for the next clash when another _Kusa_ ninja leaped at him with a sword drawn; only it didn't come. In a brown blur, the ninja smashed to the ground and his sword clanked from him. Dust rushed into the air, and Yousuke waved it from his face.

"Yo." The orange-haired kid from the market chirped with a wave of his hand as he sat crouched on the KO _shinobi_. Yousuke recognized him, it was the kid that Momo befriended from the market, Hike. "Don't mind if I jump in does ya? You can even take a break if ya want. I'll settle with the trash here. Don't worry! Go take care of your sisters now. I got it from here."

Yousuke watched the boy dumbly, only to shrug his shoulders and mumble, "Have at it then."

"Hah, hah, music to my ears!" chortled Hike as he leap away. Doing hand signs while in decent, Hike shouted, "_Bunshin no jutsu_!"

Upon hitting the ground, smoke erupted and three Hikes rushed out. The ninja before him looked among the three that zoomed toward him. He threw a _kunai_ at the one on the left, only for it to phase away. The other two began to change formations and as they approached quickly, the ninja threw the _kunai_ at another target. It faded into nothing, as his eyes widened. The real boy rammed right into his abdomen and kneed the _Kusa_ ninja in his groin.

"This is so boring. These wannabe ninjas are always such a drag." sighed Hike. He kicked the _shinobi_ away and waved to himself as he shouted, "NEXT!"

Haruka landed next to the sisters. It startled the girls, so she smiled and said, "It's okay now. Help has arrived."

She went to place a comforting hand on Hazuki, only for the older girl quickly to snatch away and growl, "Don't touch me."

Momo looked at her dejected as she signed, "She is trying to help, _ane_. What is wrong with you?"

Haruka frowned as she let her hand fall to her side and her bright green eyes ringed with hot pink looked sadly to the ground. She gasped when a warm hand touched her shoulder.

"It's okay." said Yousuke softly as he looked down at the girl with friendly eyes. "Please don't take offense to my sister's actions. You must understand that she is a special case."

"Yes." murmured Haruka as a light blush tinted her pale cheeks. _He, he looks like the Fourth Hokage! His face almost matches the picture in the Tower!_

Yousuke knelt down between his sisters as he said, "You two okay?"

Hazuki cut her eyes at him as she said, "No, _ani_. Nothing is okay! This is all wrong!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked as he stared at her.

She shook her head. "Never mind. Just . . . just leave me alone."

Momo moved from her sister's grip and fell into Yousuke's embrace. Momo took his face into tiny hands and stared at him. There was something different, but he clearly was still her brother. She snuggled into his hair when she hugged him, not minding the blood that smeared onto her face as she let out a small sigh. The silky cloth dropped from her grip.

"Safe. _Ani_, is okay and we're all safe now." Momo signed as she smiled brightly when she leaned back to look at him again. "Sister thought she lost brother, but her big brother is fine. Everything is right with the world."

He chuckled, rubbing her nose with his and then ruffling her hair. "_Ani_ will protect his _imootos_ with his life. You can count on it, _usagi_."

With surprising strength, Momo crushed him in a hug. Yousuke chuckled at her antics.

"Oh, hey Momo!" Hike casually shouted as he waved to her. He stood from his crouch on the last knocked out ninja beneath him as he said, "Don't worry about a thing! I got this completely under control. So don't worry–holy crap! Someone needs to call a fire department!" Pointing to the fire in the fields he said, "Did you know that was on fire?"

Yousuke looked utterly confused and amused. Momo had an odd look on her face. It was mixed between amusement and embarrassment. This kid couldn't be serious.

"I had no idea." Yousuke deadpanned looking at the boy.

Hike twitched his lips in thought as he growled. "Man, the lack of attention in some people . . ."

Yousuke signed to Momo, "You actually like this _baka_?"

Her eyes widened as she blushed. She didn't have to use any sign language for her older brother to understand that she liked the boy.

"Hey _sensei_!" Hike called over his shoulder. "Do you know any water _jutsus_?"

"Not one that can contain this without a suitable water source for a medium."

_That voice_ . . . Yousuke stood and turned as he released Momo. His entire body stiffened upon seeing her. The most beautiful woman he ever saw calmly walked up to him. Strength, beauty, grace, and power flowed in each step she made toward him. Her flowing pink hair danced in the growing wind, looking like cherry blossoms falling from their blooming branches. Milky jade eyes found his sapphire blue ones, and the entire world came to a complete stop.

* * *

**Japanese Words**:

Hime: princess

Haha: verbal reference to mother

Ane: verbal reference to older sister

Usagi: (I think it means) little rabbit

Baka: idiot


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I did not create, nor do I own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because I imagined them from the inspiration of Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Four:** **Memories . . . **

"_**S**_akura-chan . . . "

It flowed off his tongue, escaping his mouth as a haunting whisper of memories long past; memories that were dark. It was cold there where they rested. Cold and soft as the falling snow . . .

She froze, clearly lost between her thoughts, memories, and reality. Her lips quivered, but she was unable to utter the name that desperately wanted to roll from it. Sakura raised her hand as if what she was seeing might have been a figment of her imagination and needed confirmation to know it was real by touching him. Fingers delicately reached out to touch the fingers that he extended. His eyes were liquid, pouring the essence of his soul from them.

_Those eyes_ . . . She thought. Her body became frigid. _Naruto? _It was him.

Her heart stopped.

It was him, but this man couldn't be him. After all these years, he couldn't be alive. Naruto is dead. This man, "..."

"_Sensei_! The fire!" shouted Hike with his voice showing his shift into puberty with the high-pitched tremors it hit.

This man wasn't Naruto. It couldn't be . . . Sakura snapped her hand back and broke the trance as she looked to Hike. Yousuke shook his head, looked to the ground highly confused, and startled. He noticed that the world had begun moving again.

Sakura shook the chill from her as she mumbled, "Rr-Right. Hike-kun, we're going to have to–"

"Let it burn out," stated Kenji as he approached. Upon reaching the fence line where they stood, he huffed and puffed, but kept his composure when he said, "You can't save the crops. They're . . . They're already gone. Just forget it and let it burn."

"Wh-What? Why?" Haruka wondered aloud.

"You're going to give up?" snapped Hike as he narrowed his brows and clenched his fist. "Just because of some stupid fire you're going to give up!"

Yousuke looked to him and said, "This isn't giving up. Just because these crops are lost, doesn't mean that more won't grow more. This is only a loss in a battle, not the war."

"Oh." mumbled Hike as he returned his gaze to the fire as he scratched his arm nervously. "I see what you're saying now."

"Haruka-chan," called Sakura regaining control of the situation on hand and her own quailing emotions. "Do you sense any more people around us?"

Haruka shrugged and shook her head. "The last of them bailed when we arrived."

Shahoumaru calmly walked up to Hazuki and instantly began to examine her leg. His small fingers gently touched her bruising ankle.

"Get away from me!" she shrieked as she kicked away from him.

This was the wrong thing to do, for it sent shockwaves of pain throughout her. She bit it back and held in her cry of pain as she stared at the grass in which she sat. Yousuke was instantly at her side, along with Kenji.

"Hazuki." said Kenji softly as he rested his hand upon her forehead softly. "They won't hurt you. Let them help you."

"I don't want a _shinobi_ touching me. Never again," growled Hazuki as she stared at her father. "I'll go to a normal hospital, but I don't what them near me."

"Okay." exhaled Kenji as he pat her hand.

"No." barked Yousuke as he glared at her, "If they can help you, then you'll deal with it!"

"Some of your injuries look serious, Ichikita-san." said Shahoumaru as he set his violet eyes on her blue ones. "Are you sure that you do not wish for my _sensei_ or me to treat you? Sakura _sensei_ is the top medicinal _kunoichi_ in Konoha. She was taught directly under Tsunade-sama, the Fifth Hokage. I'm positive that instead of hurt you as you believe all _shinobi_ do, Sakura _sensei_ will help you and take the pain away."

"I don't care what that ska-ahck." Hazuki went completely limp.

Yousuke slipped his hand from the back of her neck and gently lay her limp form on the ground. He turned his eyes to Shahoumaru and said, "Fix her."

"Yousuke!" Kenji snapped, eyeing his son. "You didn't have to take such extreme measures! We could have convinced her–"

"That wasn't extreme. I just hit a pressure point." groaned Yousuke as he rolled his eyes at his father. "We wouldn't have convinced her about this either, _chichi_. She hates _shinobi_ and you know that. Momo was too young to remember, hell even I don't really remember, but Hazuki does. She was the one who endured the worst end of that night and I respect her judgment. However, for now, she can get over it and let them take care of her!"

Kenji merely stared at Yousuke agitated but decided not to argue. Shahoumaru waited until Sakura gave him a nod of approval before tending to the young woman's injuries. Sakura watched Yousuke leave, then nodded to Shahoumaru. Silently he went into his element.

"Hey," shouted Yousuke, causing Sakura and the other two _genin_ to turn to him. "Inside the house, there is a female. She's wedged in a crawlspace under the top floor. Which one of you are going to handle her?"

Sakura turned to Haruka and asked, "Is she the level-five?"

Haruka shook her head and kept her unique eyes upon Yousuke as he walked away. "It's him."

"What?" inquired Sakura as she knelt down to the girl's shorter height. "Are you positive?"

"Yeah, I'm really sure. He has huge reserves, but there is something off with them. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but if something happened and I tried to dispel his chakra with my Disruption Eruption, I don't think it would work. His chakra in a way is like mine–"

Shahoumaru interrupted, "No, his isn't natural as yours Haruka-chan. His is tainted."

Sakura spun and stared at her other genin. "What do you mean?"

"It is tainted." Is all Shahoumaru said as he closed his eyes and continued to keep his green glowing hands over the sleeping Hazuki. "There is an imbalance within him, but it will correct itself in time. Everything eventually reveals in time. Everything heals in time. Time is the key to all."

Hike snorted, "You're a dork, shrine-boy."

Shahoumaru instantly snapped his violet eyes open as he said, "I am not a dork! It is my duty to provide spiritual guidance and speak in riddles! I'm not allowed to just spit out the secrets and revelations of the Universe! It has to happen on its own! It keeps me mysterious and exciting."

"Did Hinata-san tell you that?" countered Hike as he crossed his arms and had a shit-ass grin on his freckled face.

"Maybe." mumbled Shahoumaru as he turned his face away with his nose up in the air. "At least Hinata-dono doesn't kiss my booboos as your mommy does for you."

Hike snorted and clenched his fist at the shorter boy. "She worries! I have to appease her somehow!"

"Momma's boy."

"Spiritual nut!"

"Hooligan!"

"Heretic!"

Shahoumaru shrieked, pointed accusingly to Hike, and snapped, "Take that back you barbaric, heartless heathen! I'll purify your ass!"

"I'd like to see you try, goody-two-shoes!" challenged Hike as he slid into an offensive posture, his green eyes grinning. "Come on and shoot me with one of those freaky arrows!"

"Okay, boys. Cut it out." Sakura sighed, pinching the brow of her nose. "Shahoumaru-kun, continue healing what you can of your patient. Hike-kun, I want you to keep guard. Remember that we are officially on duty. We are representing _Konohagakure_ and so far you're not making that well of an impression."

"Actually, it's quite amusing." chuckled Kenji as he and Momo smiled happily. "Something we need after all of this drama, I would say. Right, _hime_?"

Nodding in agreement, Momo smiled.

* * *

A waning crescent moon hovered in the distance, hazed from the smoldering fields. Yousuke watched the glowing embers of his crops in the darkness of the night from the roof of his home, the place that at one time was a sanctuary.

He was dirty, soiled from digging Nayukiko's grave. The woman had no family, only the Ichikitas. It hurt to think of what she must have endured before her death with the condition her body was in. That could have been his sisters and his father. What would he have done then if it were?

_Kill the bastards that hurt them. _He angrily thought, glaring out into the night. _Ruthless murderers as that scum don't deserve forgiveness. They received what they deserved . . . or did they? _

Flexing his fingers, he looked at his hands.

_I killed them both with these very hands . . . am I no different from them now?_

He didn't seem different. He didn't feel any different. Actually, his hands looked the same as before. When Yousuke looked at his hands though, his memory provided the imagery of blood on them; slippery, dark blood that his own hands spilled.

Murdering two men should affect him. It did with normal people. Some people went into shock, others became withdrawn, while some went crazy from regret, some gained a bloodlust, whereas, with others, the killing didn't bother them at all. They put it away into another part of their brain and forgot it until they could deal with it later. In contrast to those few responses, there were also those who felt nothing at all.

Yousuke figured he would feel regret, that he would feel bad, nasty, dirty and disgusting for ending the life of another human being. Those men had someone who cared about them somewhere, if anywhere. They had a family as Yousuke did. They had just as much right to live as Yousuke did. Yet none of that mattered. It was easy enough just to take their lives without much of a thought. It didn't bother Yousuke one bit. Instead, it seemed natural, as if he were raised to do it, almost like he had done it before.

"_Iie_." He grumbled, clenching his fist tightly. _Never had I even thought about hurting another person. _Looking at his hands again he wondered, _What is happening to me?_

"Ichikita-san."

He quickly turned upon hearing her voice. "Huh?"

Sakura smiled and stepped closer to him. "I don't mean to bother you, Ichikita-san, but earlier you had some injuries. Will you allow me to look at them?"

"On one condition."

"What is that?" Sakura wearily asked.

"Call me, Yousuke. I don't like honorifics addressed to me. Makes me feel like I'm something I'm not." he said and turned back out to the hazy scenery before him.

"Very well then, Yousuke." said Sakura. She set down next to him as she looked over his form. "Can you tell me what happened to your head?"

He turned to her confused as he said, "What d'ya mean?"

"There is blood matted in your hair." she pointed out.

"Oh, that," uttered Yousuke as he shook his head. "The big guy hit me with something. A club I think."

Looking at his back she said, "And your back?"

"Throwing stars. It doesn't hurt so the injuries must not be that bad," said Yousuke as he glanced at her.

She was beautiful. Even in the dim moonlight, this woman was simply radiant. Strands of her hair fluttered into her face and instantly Yousuke moved them. She became very still and silent when he touched her forehead.

_You have a big forehead. Every time I look at it, I think of how I want to kiss it. _A younger version of this woman blushed furiously, only for it to vanish just as mysteriously as it came.

_Well then, where did that memory come from? _Yousuke wondered.

Within his eyes, he seemed lost in thought. Sakura could see him struggling, trying to remember something as he feathered his fingers down her cheek. She couldn't move. Her insides had frozen again.

Like an innocent child, he traced her lips with his finger, noting that they were naturally shaded pink. Her eyelashes and eyebrows were the same pink as her hair. The deep cherry red of her outfit was a perfect contrast against her natural colors. Her mid-tone pallor glistened in the moonlight, radiating her compassionate yet strong aura. His fingers prodded her cheekbone as he desperately wanted to know . . .

"Do I know you from somewhere?" asked Yousuke as he stared at her deeply as he let his hand drop from her face. "Why do I feel like I should know you? What is your name, _kunoichi-san_?"

She pulled away and stumbled to her feet. Electricity made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end while her stomach fluttered and flip-flopped. Her mind screamed that it couldn't be he. This man, no matter how hauntingly resembled him, was not Naruto. Thinking so was inconsiderable. Impossible to believe so.

_Naruto is dead. He died! _Her mind argued.

Her heart though stated, _But he's not. That is him. I know it is. _

Inner Sakura reminded her, "_His body was never found, cha! They never recovered his body! What if he survived? What if it is him!"_

_No. _Sakura bitterly thought, pushing her inner childish-self aside. _I can't break down again . . . _

"Haruno Sakura." she bluntly said as she kept from directly looking at him. "Excuse me, Yousuke. I forgot about something which needs my attention. If you have time later, I still wish to look over your injuries."

"Okay."

She vanished in a swirl of wind and leaves and left Yousuke alone again upon the roof. He frowned. A pang of anxiety and pain stirred within his heart, making it constrict. It reminded him that he hated to be alone.

However, what was odder was that he had never felt that way before.

* * *

**Japanese Words**

Iie: no


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: I did not create nor own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because they were inspired and imagined from the help of the Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Five:** **Drama at its Finest**

_**T**_wo mornings later, the Ichikita household was extraordinarily quiet. A heavy mist hung in the cool spring air. The Ichikitas fields had long burned out and now seeked attention of clearing the burnt crops. Within the home, the damage was still evident, but neatly covered and concealed by brown tarps. The morning tranquility of the household instantly shattered when Kenji trotted down stairs.

"It's such a glorious morning!" sung Kenji as he entered the kitchen.

"Says you." grumbled Yousuke as he beat away at pancake batter. "What kind of father can't cook? Eh?"

"A father who knows how gullible his son is, that's who." smirked Kenji happily. "I'm glad to see that you are all safe and feeling better." Kenji pulled the girls closer to him in a heart-filled hug.

A small fire burned within a large pit within the kitchen, helping to warm everyone as Yousuke cooked breakfast.

"I'd rather have gone to a real doctor than put up with wannabe doctors tending to me." whined Hazuki as she kept a grimace on her face.

"Be grateful," snapped Yousuke as he dropped a plate of pancakes on the table before her. She startled at the noise but continued to glare at him. "You'd probably be in some type of drug induced stupor if you were in a hospital."

Hazuki was royally pissed and yet equally grateful for her lesser wounds to have healed. Her leg was in a cast, while her left arm draped in a sling. Yousuke had yet to have his wounds tended to but that was because of how he woke up the next morning after the invasion. His injuries couldn't have been that bad, because he had none now. The knot on his head was still there for a day and hurt when pressure was on it, but other than that, there was no wound. Where the _shuriken_ pierced his back was only slightly bruised areas that were also tender to the touch, but vacant of any open wounds.

"Yeah, and you should've had stitches in that thing you call a head. A wound like that just doesn't heal overnight, Yousuke." deadpanned Hazuki while she spread butter onto her pancakes.

"Calm down you two." Kenji sighed. "I'm trying to be all guilt ridden here but you make it hard for me."

Yousuke looked at him as he grumbled, "You just got to have the spotlight, eh?"

Sakura entered into the kitchen with her _genin_ following behind her as she neutrally greeted, "Good morning."

"Glorious morning, Haruno-san! Glorious!" chirped Kenji as he rose from his seat and offering her a seat at the western style table. "Please, sit and eat with us this morning. Yousuke I'm sure has made enough for all of us."

When the _shinobi_ of the Leaf Village began to pile at the table, Hazuki shoved her chair out. Before she could protest, Yousuke shoved her chair back to the table.

"Remember your place. Act respectable. These people saved your life, so humor them. You can't keep leaving the room when they come in." he whispered into her ear, Yousuke. "Don't be a snobby, rude bi-"

"I get it!" she shouted as she hit him in the gut with her elbow.

Kenji sighed once more at the interaction while Momo happily chewed on her mouthful of pancakes.

"I knew I should have never taken the diplomatic position for our small country, but I felt that maybe I could make a difference." said Kenji as he dejectedly looked at Hazuki. "I'm sorry. I thought that maybe I could keep you three safe, but it seems that all I did was put you right into the middle of danger. Then to bring home the thing you hate most… I'm sorry."

"Oi, stop apologizing." groaned Yousuke. He dipped batter onto the skillet and said, "You're sound weak apologizing to us every day, so just drop it. You are important to not only us but for Sawa as well. If you become weak now, then what chance do we have for the future?"

"I don't know. I think _chichi_ is right," replied Hazuki as she picked at her food. She looked at Yousuke as she said, "I could have died. Momo could have died. Hell, _ani_, we thought you were dead! What is the point of us dying because of some bad interaction with Kusa? Why should we suffer because we offended their nation? Why do we have to have ninja staying here with us now? Tell me that?"

"Because that is how things work, Hazuki." stated Yousuke fiercely before their father could answer. "You are in fear of _shinobi_, but it is truly the politicians we need to be weary of. They'd cut the throats of an entire village just to prove a point. They'll take away the things that we really need, like hospitals, food banks, and shelters for people who really need it."

"It's not the same, Yousuke!" she stated as she cut her eyes at him. "_Shinobi_ kill people-"

"Yeah, because the politicians give them the order to kill, Hazuki!" shouted Yousuke. His outburst kept everyone silent at the table. "Why can't you get that through your head? They are tools; weapons for the nations. We should be grateful that they came to help. Grateful that the Leaf Village is supporting father's cause and is willing to protect us and strain their relations with Kusa because of some snot-nose brats they have vowed to protect with their very lives so that _we _may live. Being a _shinobi_ is not just about killing or fighting. It is also about enduring and preserving life."

"First you move like them, now you speak like them." intoned Hazuki as she kept her furious gaze on him.

Kenji looked between them as he said, "What does she mean by that, Yousuke?"

Yousuke turned away from them and said, "Nothing-"

"He killed two of them by himself with just his hands." said Hazuki as she turned to her father as tears fell from her eyes. "You know how clumsy he is. You know that he can't fight and is weak, but not then. Something changed! He moved just like they do, Father."

"I told you that I wasn't doing it." explained Yousuke with a restrained voice. "I don't know what was going on. It was all reflexes."

"Since when have you had good reflexes?" laughed Kenji as he piled food on plates for the extremely silent _shinobi_. "You have always reacted too slowly to ever really do anything right."

Yousuke's face was quite impassive as he dully said, "I was good at sports-"

Kenji interrupted, "At running. You were a good athlete when it came to running long distances. You possess amazing stamina, but when it came to anything like baseball, well. You remember when you missed the catch and the ball broke your nose right? That is the example I'm shooting for."

Yousuke grunted, "The sun was in my eyes that day!"

"What's your excuse for when the volleyball knocked you out, son?" inquired Kenji.

"I'm not getting into my sports injuries with you." snapped Yousuke as he pointed the spatula at his father threateningly. "Just drop it. It was nothing but instincts-"

"You said you felt high." Hazuki calmly cut in as she kept her smirking eyes on her elder brother.

She took a bite of her food, her evil glare and wicked smile telling her brother everything he needed to know. Oh, he knew what was going on now. This was pay back for knocking her out so the ninja could treat her wounds. _I hope she chokes on that pancake . . ._ thought Yousuke dully.

"What?" asked Kenji as he instantly looked at Yousuke. "Yousuke are you doing drugs again?"

"That's irrelevant, _chichi_." Mumbled Yousuke as he paused from cooking and rubbed his temples. "You make me to sound like some common street druggy."

"Are you?"

"No!" blurted Yousuke as he lost his composure. "I haven't touched that shit in years."

Kenji watched him as Yousuke stared at him.

"What? You don't believe me?" asked Yousuke angry.

"Explain to me what is going on, Yousuke." said Kenji with concern showing in his warm blue eyes. "If its drugs, then we'll handle this as we did last time. I just hope it will be in a more mature way than having you baker acted again."

"Fuck, man. This has nothing to do with drugs. I swear." pleaded Yousuke as he placed his hands on the counter while he stared at the fire.

"It's alright, son. You can tell me."

"I don't even know what happened. Everything just went black. After that man hit me everything just went black and I was so pissed... How was I supposed to protect Momo and Hazuki if I was dead?" His fist clenched as he rambled, "I wanted to protect them. That was all I thought about; about how I had to protect them. About how I was supposed to protect my precious people but failed. Something snapped. Just thinking about failure caused something within me to shift. After that, the darkness left and I found myself lying on the floor.

"I could protect them," said Yousuke softly as he looked into his father's gaze. The firelight dancing on the young man's features made him look serious and dangerous. "I knew then that nothing could stop me and I could protect them. I don't know how to explain it. My body reacted on its own in the beginning and everything was sluggish, but now it's as if I've always done it. Like a part of me that has been sleeping finally stirred awake and is trying to awaken more. It worries me because I feel alienated and that I'm missing something, yet appeases me because I can protect my precious people now."

Kenji's shoulders stooped, his twinkling eyes holding sorrow and his sigh causing Yousuke's insides to twist uncomfortably. Kenji then smiled and shook his head.

"Drama . . ." Haruka whispered in a long singsong drawl to her teammates. They nodded in agreement.

Kenji smiled brightly and extended his arms. "No more arguing about such trivial nonsense, son! We have guest! We must entertain our guest!"

The man's lined cheeks flushed as he mumbled, "Oh...I forgot that they were here."

Sakura shifted uneasily as she said, "That isn't necessary, Ichi-"

"Please, call me Kenji as I asked you, Sakura!" replied Kenji. "We are all friends here!"

"Says you." grumbled Hazuki. She pushed her chair out once again. The teen stood and retrieved her set of crutches. Hazuki hobbled away as she spat, "I have things to do."

Kenji frowned. Yousuke too frowned, but kept himself from lashing out on her. He scolded her enough and wondered why he even had. It irked him that she thought so lowly of _shinobi_, but he didn't know exactly why. It never bothered him before. Besides, Hazuki had spent enough time doing what she did not want to do, and being around people she loathed.

_Let her go_. Yousuke thought as he took her place at the table feeling uneasy. _Let her enjoy a little bit of freedom before everything turns to shit again._

Kenji turned to Momo, smiled and said, "How about you go outside for a while and play. Don't go too far away though, okay."

Momo nodded. Haruka splashed down her glass of milk and then slipped from his chair and said, "I'll go with you. You can show me around!"

Shahoumaru slipped from his chair and said, "Me too."

Sakura looked at Hike. He looked up at her quizzically, only for his green eyes to widen. He quickly gobbled up the last of the food on his plate, drank down the glass of milk, and then uttered, "Yeah, I'm going too. I like tours!"

Once all the children had cleared the room, Kenji chuckled.

"You have them trained well," said Kenji as she stared at Sakura seriously.

"Thank you." Sakura agreed.

"Any chance you can train my son here?"

Yousuke choked on his food as Sakura smiled with a light tinge of pink on her cheeks. Kenji laughed, holding his stomach. He waved apologetically.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't resist." chortled Kenji. He cleared his throat as he slapped Yousuke's back, which helped the young man to stop choking. Kenji then became serious. "Well, Sakura-san. What do you think?"

She pushed her plate from her and said, "This definitely isn't a C-ranked duty any longer, Kenji-sama. This I feel is around an A-ranked duty. Your family though, part of the High Council, wasn't an intended target. Our sources said that the next family for hit is the Myuugana Clan and then the Hitsunagunii. Not the Ichikitas."

"We don't have direct power." said Yousuke as he stirred the last bits of noodles in his cup of ramen with a wooden set of chopsticks. "Our votes don't count when it comes to the Calling of Chambers. The Four direct houses are over that. They're the judges and their votes count. It's not hard to see why they are targets over us, which is why we are overlooked. I don't get why though. We don't have anything. The Four houses have it all."

Kenji sighed and closed his blue eyes as he leaned back in his chair. "Everything was easier when the royal family was alive. When Lord Daireshi and Lady Midori ruled."

"Royal family?" inquired Sakura.

Kenji chuckled and crossed his arms. "Sawa was once ruled by a Lord and Lady. About eight or nine years ago, the Empire fell during the Fourth War, the supposed secret ninja war. It wasn't necessarily the ninja's fault. Just when that war spread to these lands, an uprising quickly rose against the Lord and Lady. This war changed everything, uprooted families-many people died in a result. Even this family has suffered, but we managed to pull through.

"Swamp lost their Lord and Lady to the hands of one of their closest advisors, and with the help of the invading _shinobi_, whether they knew it or not, both the Lord and Lady, and their infant child were lost to Sawa, but the Swamp Country's people didn't let the crimes of the betrayer go unnoticed. They rejected the advisor, and the Council came to be. They are all of noble blood and a close connection to the original Lord and Lady. The High Council and the Four Houses are the centers of it all.

"There is a legend though. Only those faithful in heart know of it here in Sawa. That the Lord and Lady's heir still lives and is protected by a great beast guised as a man. A beast so ruthless that just upon hearing the heir call its name, it will destroy all that oppose or wish to hurt the Child of the Swamps. Only the heir can tame the beast and force it back into its dormant state and human guise. Until the heir is ready to take her place as Swamp's next ruler, the child hides away unknowing to what their destiny truly is, nor the power bestowed upon them. They believe that one day, this lost child will rise up and reclaim Swamp Country's dignity, and come back into rule with a kind heart and strong hand, ending the temporary rule of the High Council."

Kenji's eyes were glassy. "Everyone in the Council waits for the day that the heir will return, and all of Sawa will know when the heir does return. They say that the earth will quake to the command of the heir's voice and the seas will rise to attention. All the life of the swamps around will answer the heir's call. Oh, I just love legends!"

"You're going emo again dad." sighed Yousuke.

"If this child were to come to power, what would happen to the High Council?" asked Sakura.

Kenji looked at her surprised as he said, "My dear woman. The Council will fall. That is what is intended of the Council. They know what will happen, and patiently wait for the day to come. Nevertheless, it is the only legend of an heir even being alive. Now, my question to you, Haruno-san, are you going to quit?" inquired Kenji asked as he rested his chin on his clenched fist as he gazed at her lazily. "It's alright if you do. We can always go back to the compound for protection. I would understand if you do decide to leave and not deal with this distraction. You have those three children to worry about-"

"No." interjected Sakura as she sat up in her chair. "I'm sure my team can handle this. They may not seem it, but they are a good team. If I didn't think they could, I would immediately resign and have Hokage-sama send a more suitable team to handle this mission. I need to talk to them though and see how they feel. I'm sure they'll be up to it."

"Very well." replied Kenji.

"What if they attack again?" asked Yousuke as he looked at the _kunoichi_ intensely. "Even an invalid like me knows that they will be back. They didn't come here just to make a statement. They wanted something."

"That is how it normally is." Sakura pointed out. "Things will be quiet for a while. I'm not sure how long, but we're in a state of stagnancy. Kusa or whomever it might be who hired them are going to regroup, recalculate and rearrange their current plans. They weren't expecting someone to retaliate; otherwise, they would have sent a _jounin_ to overlook the job instead of lower-level _chunnin_." Sakura narrowed her eyes and stated, "Next time, they will send stronger assassins, especially with us here. We'll need to be ready for them. If things become as bad as I fear, I will send for reinforcements."

She stood. "I'm hoping that things will not be as I fear and that things will be peaceful. It's been a few years since we've had anything like this happen. Hidden Villages have been quiet and preserved since the war. We are a dying breed, Kenji-sama. It won't be long that in the future _shinobi_ will be only mere whispers of what once was. Our tales will become legends that you claim to love. Becoming merely stories told to children before bed . . .

"I'm not exactly sure what Sawa has done to anger Kusa, or who exactly is behind this, but we will help. I have a recovery team coming for the bodies of the men and the woman who is still unconscious. I will give my comrades a full report and wait for what the Hokage decides from there. Rest assured Kenji, Yousuke. My _genin_ and I will watch over and protect your family and make sure this legend has a happy ending."

* * *

The fields wasn't in that bad as shape as Yousuke thought they were. It would only take some clearing and tilling, and he would have some spring crops growing in no time at all.

It had been four days since the attack. Hazuki brooded due to having to live with ninja, Momo was exuberant about having children her age to play with, while Yousuke found that he couldn't take his eyes off of Sakura long enough to accomplish any of his normal tasks.

The woman always captured his sight and she always showed up where he was. Then again, Sakura was guarding him, or more less his family. She was bound to be around. He didn't mind at all, because she was something beautiful to gaze upon besides the natural scenery of the farm. There was something very fragile yet, so ferocious about Sakura that Yousuke couldn't define it. There was something about her. Something that he was missing, but felt that he already knew.

"Mooo " bellowed Ringo the bull as pushed his snout into Yousuke chest, causing the blond-haired man to yelp and fall onto his rear.

Glaring up at the large black and white ox, Yousuke grumbled, "Yeah, yeah. I know. Get back to work and quit daydreaming."

Ringo snorted. Dusting himself off, Yousuke picked up the lead line. He led the ox to the next pile of debris and charred brush. Letting the ox's line go, the animal instantly stopped and lazily began to chew on its cud. Yousuke grabbed his pitchfork and again, went through the method of throwing small piles of the destroyed crops into the cart.

The sun was high and heated the afternoon to a nice crisp. Humidity claimed the air and the cold snap from nights before was now gone. Sakura pulled her hair up into a ponytail to help tame the fluttering mess as she watched Yousuke as he worked away. Seeing the sweat on his arms and face and soaking his shirt and pants was enough to make her want to seek a freezer to walk into. He looked hot . . . in more ways than one.

"You look so much like him." She said to herself as her shorter sideburns tickled her shoulders.

There were differences in the similarities Sakura saw between Yousuke and Naruto. For one thing, Yousuke was a little taller than Naruto. Naruto's hair was shorter, while Yousuke's was thick and long enough to pull into a rat-tail at the nape of his neck if he wanted. Yousuke had toned muscles. Every time his white shirt stuck to his wet skin, she could see the six-pack hard at work. Naruto didn't have that. He was strong, but he lacked the actual visual physique that Yousuke did have from working on the farm from sun up to sun down.

"Ten years, Sakura." She told herself. "In ten years he would have grown more. He still wouldn't look sixteen. He wouldn't be that teenager I once knew. He would be a grown man."

Similarities between the two that were exact were haunting to Sakura. Both Yousuke and Naruto had that unforgettable sunny bright yellow hair and those deep transcending sapphire eyes. Moreover, when he smiled that carefree grin that melted worries and made you believe in him, there was almost no mistaking that Yousuke was Naruto. Then, there were the marks. Those birthmarks on Yousuke's face . . .

They were the only reason why Sakura even thought about this man being Naruto. Those whisker-like marks was not a common trait. They indicated that the one with them was special. That they possessed the chakra of the nine-tailed fox. The black whisker marks Yousuke bore that was distinctive to Naruto . . .

"Is it you?" Sakura asked the wind. Her gaze was sad as she watched Yousuke as hope hung heavy in her heart. _Is it really you, Naruto? If it is you, what happened to you all these years? Why haven't you come home? How could you forget about us . . . _


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: I did not create nor own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because they were inspired and imagined from the help of the Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Six:** **Denial**

_**E**_verything was black in the beginning when he tried to remember that night ten years ago; the night when everything went to hell.

There was a fire burning out of control. Dead bodies were strewn about the courtyard. Father was gone, Hazuki seven-years old, Momo a toddler of two, and mother was still alive at the time.

The family hid. They were all tucked away in a panic room within their apartment, only the fire grew out of control and the panic room turned into an oven. When Hazuki began to have breathing problems, and when Momo grew deathly still, everything went black from that moment on for Yousuke. It was almost as if another force erased the memories beyond that point. Cut from the rest of the memories that were still blotchy and seemingly altered in Yousuke's mind.

For the longest, Yousuke couldn't remember anything. His name was lost to him, his family's and friend's faces were blank, he didn't even know where he grew up, all because he couldn't remember anything at all when he woke in the hospital. His memories were lost to him. While in the hospital he stayed in a constant daze. His empty mind healed from a massive concussion as he desperately tried to remember who he was, that was until father found him. Slowly and eerily, he began to remember. One day, everything transferred from its blocked state and he finally did remember.

His name was Ichikita Yousuke, son of Ichikita Kenji and Ichikita Riza. He had sisters, Hazuki the older of the two and Momo the baby. Faces began to appear with names, details, and history over time. He remembered where he grew up and that he was in high school then. He remembered his childhood, his trials, and errors, journeys, and transitions, everything. Only, they didn't actually _feel_ like his memories.

Yousuke never questioned his memories. They were thick, having history, pain and effective notion behind them. He experienced each memory, up until the attack on the castle. Then, the memories became blotted, jumbled, and wrong. Now, they no longer even haunted his memories. It was as if the images were dumped and erased from his mind, along with other memories that Yousuke began to question. It became worst when different memories started to manifest and disrupt his already messed up memories.

Ever since that ninja clobbered him on the head, Yousuke found himself experiencing the world around him differently. It felt as if he was still waking up from a deep sleep, and that everything that had happened in the past years with his family has been nothing more than a dream.

Everything was black around him, until now. White slowly started to fall into the picture now. He found himself in an inverted world where black was white and white black. The scenery of snowcapped mountains and trees were all around him. The snow that should have been white covered the ground in an abysmal black hue, while black clusters of snow fell from a gray sky above. It was cold here. Cold and forgotten.

"How does it feel to know that you have been living a lie?"

Yousuke no longer was alone within the dead confines of his dreamscape. The boy who spoke looked almost like Yousuke, only there were major differences. This boy was around five inches shorter, younger, his hair dirty blond and his eyes a different shade of blue. They were royal blue and placid like Hazuki's. He was the only thing in this place that even had color.

"What do you mean?" asked Yousuke confused.

"You know what he means."

Yousuke turned and looked to a silhouette of a man as tall and framed like he. On deeper scrutiny, Yousuke noticed that the person was an image of him; a shadowed and faded looking clone that appeared to be a ghost.

"I don't understand." said Yousuke as he looked between the two. "Who are you?"

"I am the real Yousuke." stated the shorter dirty blond haired boy as he pointed his thumb into his chest and stepped forward. "Not you. These memories are not yours, pretender. They are mine. They were implanted to override your past memories and keep the real you dormant."

Yousuke shook his head and laughed, "That's ridiculous!"

"Is it?" the ghostly clone questioned as he circled Yousuke. "So you're telling me that if I hadn't appeared when I did, you could have saved your sisters on your own without my help?"

"Your help?" muttered Yousuke as he watched the clone. "I handled that on my own–"

"Not from his memories you did, but from your true memories. Don't you even find it odd that you move and sense like a _shinobi_ now? That even though you don't have any training, you now know how to counteract another ninja's attack as if you had done it all your life?" questioned the clone posing a good argument to Yousuke. "You're starting to remember bits and pieces but you keep rejecting them, forcing back from which they came but you have to stop. It's time to stop pretending and get back into reality. This isn't the real you."

"This is just a dream." Yousuke sighed. "A dream that my subconscious created to handle what is happening."

"This isn't a dream, baka. This is an intervention!" shouted the clone as he stared at Yousuke hard. "Everything you think you are is completely wrong. Everything that you are now, is not the real you. You are a tool. You are still in play. You have to remember the real you. It's time to wake up, pretender. It's time to rise and live again!"

"You have to let go of my memories and allow your own memories to break through." Stated the image of the other Yousuke. "I can't rest until my memories have finally been released, so please. Just let it go."

Shaking his head as he backed away, Yousuke said, "No. No, you're wrong. I am Ichikita Yousuke–"

"No." snapped the clone. He suddenly appeared behind Yousuke to block his escape. "You know you're not him. You know who you are. Say it."

"No."

"Say your real name!" the clone commanded.

Yousuke pushed away from the clone and snapped, "NO! I am Ichikita Yousuke! I'm Yousuke!"

"How long do you think you can keep me from resurfacing, pretender? I will come out. I will make you remember so for now, just keep lying to yourself." The clone merely looked at him dejectedly as he said, "By the time you realize who you are, it'll be too late to save anyone."

Yousuke woke with a start and bolted upright in his bed with his heart racing and sweat covering his form. It was a dream. Just one messed up dream. He wasn't alone! He had a family! He had a father and two sisters who loved him!

"I'm Yousuke." he stated in a whisper. "_I am Yousuke_."

* * *

Sakura let out an exhausted breath as she leaned up against the post of the _torii_ that towered over the pathway that leads to the Ichikita's homestead. She waited for Kakashi's input on her situation on hand, along with any information that they might have gotten out of the Kusa woman. She wished that she had looked over Yousuke now instead of freaking out as she did. Sakura could have run diagnostics test along with blood and chakra reserves test when she had the chance and sent all that data back to Konoha for deeper analysis.

"Ditz," Sakura scolded herself as she began to pace. "I could have found out then if it is him . . ."

Sakura's thoughts were jumbled; mixed between the mission to overlook the Ichikita's and the personal mission she was brewing in her mind. She had to be sure though. She needed conformation-

"What has you all worked up?"

Sakura jumped at the sound of Nara Shikamaru's voice and shrieked. She laughed nervously as she looked at the young man who still wore his hair up in the high ponytail that made his head resemble a pineapple. Though his attire changed, Shikamaru was blessed to still look only seventeen or eighteen years old. _Lucky bastard_.

He let out a sigh. Sakura was too anxious. "What's the problem?" he asked.

Shaking her head she said, "Nothing. It's nothing. I hope it's nothing."

"Sakura. What is wrong?" Shikamaru calmly asked.

He was concerned, for she was a friend. The last time Sakura acted like this was when she was still grieving over Naruto's death. It wasn't a healthy experience for her. If it were happening again, Ino would kick his ass for not pushing the issue and if the prognosis is bad: get the _kunoichi_ help, quick.

"Sakura."

"It's stupid, really." chortled Sakura as she began to walk back toward the house. "You'd think I'm stupid if I told you."

Shikamaru deadpanned, "I have all night, tomorrow and the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that day-"

"Naruto."

Instantly Shikamaru went silent and stopped following her. His eyes shifted from light concern to full out worry. The idiot's death was hard on Sakura. For a long while, she didn't really do anything. Sakura withdrew from everything. Even after Uchiha Sasuke became better and tried to speak with her, Sakura backlashed on him, blaming him for everything, which threw the distraught Uchiha into Ino's slender arms.

"What about him?" asked Shikamaru carefully.

Sakura bit her lip. "He's dead right." she looked at Shikamaru sincerely. "Right?"

"Yes. Naruto is dead." Shikamaru bluntly said. "Why are we-"

"I found him."

Shikamaru stared at her, deathly silent as the early spring air swirled around them. It was happening again. She was losing her grip on reality. Haunting dreams, sleepless nights, never-ending searches, all the tears shed, blood spilled all over losing Naruto . . . Sakura was so messed up back then.

"Sakura, when was the last time you slept?" asked Shikamaru bluntly.

"Th-That's not the issue here. Naruto is. This man, it's him, it has to be." She wiped her eyes, and said, "Just come with me, Shikamaru. Just, just look at this guy and tell me what you think-"

"Is this what you called me out here for, Sakura? To dig up memories of the past?" accused Shikamaru.

Shaking her head she said, "_Iie_! Of course not! Just . . . come with me, Shikamaru. See for yourself why I'm like this. If it's not him, I will drop this mission, come home, and check myself into the clinic, okay. I swear."

He groaned, "Why do I always end up with the troublesome cases? Why couldn't Ino or even Choji come all the way out here to deal with this crap? Why can't I have just one normal mission? Lead the way, Sakura."

"Thank you, Shikamaru. You're not going to be disappointed," replied Sakura in relief.

Yeah, he would be the judge of that. "Whatever. Now brief me on what the hell happened out here."

* * *

"Great, another one," grumbled Hazuki when Sakura and Shikamaru entered the house. Fiercely she swept the kitchen floor as she spat, "Father and _ani_ are in the back office."

"Thank you," said Sakura as she glanced at her _genin_ team and Momo as they watched television. Momo was actually watching it. The _genin_ was just there, guarding, watching, and waiting.

Sakura knocked before she entered into the room. Yousuke was in a mid-stretch when they walked in. He smiled at Sakura, yet when the man behind her walked in, he grew impassive. The Konoha _shinobi_ wore neutral gray and navy blue garbs, a mossy green vest, and some mesh and wraps shown on his legs and arms.

"Ichikita-sama," Sakura addressed Kenji. "This is Nara-san, one of my superiors from Konoha."

"Ahh, yes. The Tactician I believe your Hokage was telling me about. It is certainly a pleasure to meet you!" replied Kenji excitedly. He quickly stood from his chair and hobbled to Shikamaru to shake his hand. "I've heard great things about you I have!"

Shikamaru nodded in response. His dark eyes planted onto Yousuke, who kept leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. It nerved the blond-haired man to be stared at so bluntly. He shifted uneasily.

"As you know," said Shikamaru as he shoved his hands into his pockets, "You were jumped by ninja. From the intelligence we gathered, Kusa has no problems with Sawa's High Council-"

"What do you mean by that?" interjected Kenji. "What are the reasons to why they are attacking and trying to kill Council members?"

"No. See, what you don't know is that these ninja wasn't actually from Kusa. They are rogue ninja. They're people who received half-assed training from _shinobi _dropouts. Usually, we take care of these types of people by offering them office positions, teaching, whatever. Other times, we have to wipe their memory completely, but when it comes to other nations, they don't always clean up their mistakes.

"These rogues stole _hitai-ites_, and used the Kusa bands to try and place the blame off on Kusa for Sawa's sudden attacks." said Shikamaru impassively. "Whoever it is attacking Sawa with these rogue ninja has to be here within Sawa if they're trying to cover their tracks. From what we discovered in our own investigation into his case is that the rogues were sent for espionage to find a _tama_."

Kenji's face grew hard as Shikamaru stared at him with a penetrating gaze.

"The first two hits on the nobles were distractions so other rogues could infiltrate the main archives of the house and find anything they could on this jewel. After the second hit, they found what their leader was looking for. Ichikita-san," Shikamaru's voice lowly drawled, "You can't hide this gem forever."

"What?" asked Yousuke as he looked between them. "Is that why we were attacked? What gem is worth our lives?"

"None worth diamonds or gold." Kenji turned away and sighed, "I don't have the gem anymore. I have already passed it to the next holder because no precious _tama_ of hard stone is worth my children's lives. "

Yousuke didn't look convinced. His father was hiding something, for he knew his old man too well to know the cryptic message behind what he was saying. _None worth diamonds or gold? Jewel of hard stone? The gem must not be either of those things and did dad really get rid of it? _thought Yousuke.

"Are you sure you don't have it anymore, Kenji-sama?" questioned Shikamaru as he kept his eyes on Kenji.

"Lay off him, Shikamaru," said Yousuke, which caused both _shinobi_ to snap their attention to him. "If he says he doesn't have it, then he doesn't have it."

Again, Nara scrutinized Yousuke with his dark eyes.

"What?" snapped Yousuke as he puffed out his chest and balled his hands into a fist.

"I just find it odd that you addressed me by my first name." said Shikamaru as he kept his laid back demeanor.

Yousuke's brow rose curiously. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I never gave you my first name. Sakura only introduced me as Nara-san. Not as Nara Shikamaru." he dully said. He shrugged. "Coincidence, I guess." He looked at Kenji as he said, "I'm not entirely sure what this gem does, or what it is, but someone wants it bad. Bad enough that they're not worried about how much blood is spilled to find and obtain it. Due to the severity of the mission, the Hokage has asked for Sakura and her _genin_ team to drop the mission. Her team isn't experienced in this."

Nodding, Sakura said, "I agree. They'll be in way over their heads and staying here would be basically signing their death warrants." She looked between Kenji and Yousuke and said, "It isn't safe here for you anymore. Either we can send a new more experienced team of _shinobi_ from the Leaf, or as you mentioned earlier in the week, you can seek the protection of the compound. We'll give you twenty-four hours to decide."

Bowing, Kenji said, "_Hai._ Thank you, Sakura-san, Nara-san."

She bowed back, as Shikamaru merely gave a nod.

* * *

**Japanese Words**

Tama: jewel


	7. Chapter 7

**Quick Author's Thought: ** Oh my god, I revised this back in 2012. 2012 . . . And I think I originally wrote it in 2010 or 2009. Lord have mercy.

**Disclaimer**: I did not create nor own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because they were inspired and imagined from the help of the Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Seven:** **The **_**Tama**_ **Revealed**

_**R**_ingo nuzzled his twitching nose into Hazuki's hand as she gently scratched his forehead. The ox was so lucky. It didn't have to worry about school. It didn't have to worry about proper manners, posture or presentation. He didn't have to walk a certain way or keep an air of dignity and profession. The ox didn't have to follow any rules, he could graze all day if he wished, and had a wonderful lazy life that didn't require much of him.

Oh, how she wished to be that damn ox right now.

"Do you have all your things packed?" asked Kenji as he placed his hand on her shoulder, his blue eyes sad yet able to ease her own anguish.

Nodding, Hazuki uttered, "Yeah. I do."

"Good, good. We'll be leaving soon." he said, to then turn and walk back to the group of _shinobi_.

Immediately Hazuki frowned. The Compound . . . She hated how they were going to be living in that pompous hellhole again. It was nice; don't get her wrong, only there were many haunting memories at the Compound. Memories that Hazuki honestly didn't want to remember.

"I see you're already dressed too."

She turned when Yousuke walked up to her. He looked handsome in the compound garbs of blue, black and beige: nobility status colors. Everything was color coded when it boiled down to it. Gold, silver, dark blue and purple were for highest nobility, while pinks, lighter blues, greens, and yellows were middle-class nobility, while neutral tans and grays were for the low-class nobles. Priest, priestesses and any other type of religious order held the colors of white, red and orange. Anyone who wore black into the compound was invalids, hence the black coveralls or _kimonos_ visitors had to wear.

Beige was the basis of their clothes and represented their class of lower nobility. Egyptian blue represented the noble blood on their father's side while the black represented the invalid blood of their mother. He hated wearing the colors.

"Yeah." uttered Hazuki.

"Don't sound so dejected." said Yousuke, "We could have stayed, only you didn't want any more _shinobi_ around. You should be happy now, right? Don't worry. It'll only be for a while. Maybe a year or two, then things will go back to normal."

"_Ani_," Hazuki asked, "Why are you going back? Why don't you just stay here? I mean you have the gardens and the fields to tend. And the stand! What about the stand in, Aobusato?"

Yousuke smiled and said, "That doesn't matter right now. Your and Momo's safety is what does matter. I can replace dead crops and re-grow trees, _imooto_, but I can't replace you or sister. This place will be waiting for me if I come back."

Hazuki stared at him and wondered where all this protectiveness was coming from. Okay, maybe he had become a little over-protective since _Haha_ died, but what was so important about them? Why did his obsession to protect them have to be so strong? Was that natural for a brother? Especially for a brother who put his entire life on hold just to watch over his little sisters?

"Yousuke? Why are you doing this?" asked Hazuki sincerely confused.

He smiled in a mysterious way. As if he knew a secret or that even he himself didn't even know.

"I promised I would." He shrugged his shoulders and simply walked away. "I don't go back on my word, that's my _nindo_."

She watched him walk away, wondering if he even realized what he just said.

* * *

"The will of Swamp isn't out of my reach. Not yet. I'll show you, brother, of how demented I can be, you sack of rotting flesh. I'll show you the real way to rule _Sawa no Riku_."

She sat upon her throne of tangled roots between two trees that towered high into the sky. She was holding a human skull as she gazed at it.

She stuck a finger into one of the skull's eyes sockets as she sighed, "But then again, without eyes, you can't really see too much, can you Dairetsu. Bastard. I was the eldest. The throne was mine! But you just had to have it, didn't you, you pussy-whipped little fuck-tard bastard! You see where I am now though, don't you? Big sister isn't dead. Oh, no I'm not dead. Oh, that's right. You can't see. Ku, ku. I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that you're _dead_!"

She smashed the skull against the roots of her armrest. It didn't shatter or break but cracked just a little more than it previously was. See, if she shattered or broke her elder brother's skull, then how would she continue to ridicule him like this? She crammed it back onto the top of her staff, its eyes giving off a sudden haunting glow of green.

"Yes, yes. I know that the gem is close. Very close now, no?" said the woman as the skull's mouth slowly opened and a horrible howl raced through the air. "It's almost time. Yes. Almost time." she whispered as she closed the skull's jaw and silenced the alarm it made.

This was her kingdom. This very place was the main chamber of her swampy palace. Her place of exile, by those traitorous norms of the fallen kingdom, she turned into her very own palace. They thought she would die out here in the harsh and unknown marshes. That eventually the creatures and monsters of the swamps would devour her very essence. How wrong they all were.

This place, this dark and murky cesspool was her kingdom. Just look around. She had wielded it and made the swamps her own. Her very own empire within the thick confines of trees, brush, and wetlands that most people never made out of alive, was her home. Cypress's knees rose from the murky depths of the water around her cleared and liquid-filled courtyard, as a tangled mass of roots and stone made up a path that leads to the great throne.

"All I need is the gem. Then I can control the Land of Swamps. I won't stop there though, oh no, no, no. That would just be too easy, now, wouldn't it, _Nezumi_."

The figured that kept knelt next to her nodded its head. It was a man at one time, now only a shadow of what it once was. She had altered it, changed it into something wonderful and great. Nezumi was one of her favorite guards, he the one who wore the large skull helm of the swamp rat. The sound of chattering teeth told her that her pet was anxious and ready to battle. Together they watched a figure trot up the tangled path, his form fully concealed by cloth on the exception of his eyes. Once he reached the proper area, he stopped and instantly bowed.

"_Miko_-sama." requested the man to speak.

"Yes, faithful one." cooed the woman as she shifted in her seat while a large tree boa lowered its head next to the woman's and stared at the ninja with its red hazed eyes.

"They have mobilized, _Miko_-sama." said the ninja as he kept bowed. "They are heading to the compound. Ninja are still guarding them, but it is only the woman and her team along with a man."

"Oh? Is that so?" chirped the priestess. She clapped her hands which caused bells to ding and bangles to clatter. "Well then. I think it's time to go get my little gem, don't you, my darling snake?"

The bright green boa flicked its black tongue and slid down the woman's form when she stood. Her ivory skin was mostly exposed, for she wore barely any clothes. Violet and gold wraps covered her arms and then twisted around her neck to X around her breast and left the bottom portion of these assets exposed. The same colored wraps twisted low on her wide hips along with chains and charms, and the remaining fabric dangled down her center in the front and back, which followed in a long train. Her provocative outfit was assembled with various charms, bangles and bells that were on the _miko's_ wrist and ankles and around her thin neck. Her light orangey blonde hair twisted into twin horns on each side of her head, while her abysmal brown eyes glowed with an unearthly red hue. Taking hold of her staff, the swamp seemed to come to life. She raised her arms, causing the bangles on her arms to clatter and the bells to ring.

Her hands shifted through odd signs, similar to the ninja's own jutsu hand signs. As she performed these signs, she moved her arms, her body shifting-almost as if she were dancing. The eyes of her brother's skull burned a neon violet color, and a black hue corrupted the priestesses glowing aura.

"Rise my minions! Rise and serve your rightful queen, Lady Kikiyo!"

The man watched as, from the black depths of the water around, white bones began to rise along with partially decomposed corpses of both creature and man alike, mixed together in an inhuman creation of beastly warriors. Glowing red eyes opened, and moved slowly throughout the dark recesses of the swamp around.

"Let us go and get my _tama_."

* * *

The progression moved at a steady pace. Trees and shrubs passed by as the humidity began to rise by mid-afternoon. From out of the carriage, Momo sadly watched Hike as he walked next to the carriage. He had an unreadable expression on his freckled face. It made the twelve-year-old Momo sigh and frown more.

"Hey, cheer up, _imooto_. It's not like you won't see him again." Yousuke said with a smile. "I'm sure you'll see him again."

He went to rustle her hair, only for Hazuki to grab his wrist and growl, "You mess up her hair and I will hurt you, _ani_."

Yousuke pouted and dropped his hand while Momo's shoulders only slumped lower. She looked so sad, so depressed . . . so heart broken.

"I doubt that I will ever see him again." Momo signed. "We have different destinies, different paths of life. He is a ninja. He has an exciting life, one where he is in constant motion, and adventure while... pfft. I am the daughter of a noble diplomat. I have a boring life, one where I am never in action and I can only daydream about what might exist beyond the walls of my prison waiting for the day I will be sold off to the next highest bidder."

Her eyes looked so distant. Hell, she even felt distant, and as if she were in a completely different mindset. The carriage jerked to a stop. Hike instantly went into action and vanished out of Momo's view. Yousuke's stomach turned. Something bad was about to happen.

"What's going on?" Kenji wondered aloud. He opened the carriage door and stepped out.

"NO!" screamed Shikamaru as he moved toward Kenji. "Stay in the carriage!"

By then, it was too late. Blood blasted onto the Ichikita children as Kenji stood between them and the open door. Black shining claws protruded Kenji's back as he stood frozen, blood spurting from his mouth. Yousuke stared at the woman whose hand directed at his father, her black nails as daggers sticking in Kenji's body. She was a good thirty or forty feet from the carriage.

Glaring at Yousuke with wicked red eyes, her extended left hand retracted and the claws ripped from Kenji. An insane laugh cracked from her as she sauntered closer.

"Hello, _Shidomoto_ . . . It has been a long time since we have seen each other last, hasn't it?" the priestess snickered as Kenji glared at her.

"I should have known it would be you, Kikiyo." spat Kenji as he panted and held the wound in his chest. "You poisoned me, am I right?"

"Ku, ku, you remember me well. I never knew you have children though, Kenji-dono. But, then again, you always had a soft spot for the little forgotten ones, didn't you, doctor? They were easier to experiment on, especially without family to reject your theories or methods when it came to there, oh so fragile minds. " said Kikiyo slyly.

"What is she talking about?" asked Hazuki anxious as Kenji stumbled back into the carriage.

* * *

Sakura watched as, from the shadows of the thick swamp that surrounded them, creatures began to crawl out. A larger one cackled at her and chattered its teeth as it neared the pink-haired woman. She cautiously backed away. Sakura slid her hand into her fanny pack to retrieve a battered pair of jet black gloves.

"You three keep cautious," ordered Sakura with her milky jade eyes scowled.

_Sensei_ put on her gloves. The entire village of Konoha knew what that meant, and the youngest members of team thirteen wanted to desperately see their superior in action. They had heard stories but, had never actually witnessed the woman in her prime.

Sakura _sensei_ was the woman who at only fifteen-years-of-age, destroyed the _Akatsuki _member Sasori with the help of one of Suna's best puppeteers, Chiyo. Their _sensei_ was the very same woman who helped bring the last Uchiha home, who helped in destroying Tobi's _Eye of the Moon _plan, helped in vanquishing Madara and helped in putting the _shinobi_ world into a peaceful stagnant state. She is the woman who surpassed Tsunade-sama by the age of eighteen and by twenty-one became the lead medical _kunoichi_ over the medic division. Haruno Sakura was also friends and past teammates with Konoha's savor and hero, the lost but never forgotten Uzumaki Naruto.

Shikamaru groaned. "Of course. This would end up being troublesome." Rogues surrounded him, all wearing stolen bands. The lazy tactician let out a sigh. Raising his fist, bearing a set of chakra knives Shikamaru's eyes narrowed as he shifted into an offensive pose. "I'm not really in the mood to go chasing after you guys, so how about you come to me, eh?" said Shikamaru as a smirk lined his lips.

At first, the _genin_ was in awe. Not only were they going to witness their _sensei_ in action, but also the shadow user Nara Shikamaru too! Their amazement collapsed due to realizing the situation they were in. They weren't going to get to see their superiors fight, because they were going to be fighting for their lives and the clients as well.

Sakura looked back at her _genin_ as she said, "Don't worry you guys. I won't let you down."

With that, their _sensei_ was gone. She and the larger fiend clashing together while the lazy tactician held off a rogue ninja. Both _shinobi_ were awesome, and the three _genin_ wanted to watch them in action-only the monsters around had other plans.

"What . . ." drawled Hike as he backed away from a corpse of a goat man that inched toward him. "What the hell are these things?"

"Hey," snapped Haruka as she grasped control of the situation. "We have clients to protect! Come on!"

Haruka shook the fear from her and readied herself for the first wave of beastly monsters that were starting to shake and rip the carriage apart. Haruka's gloved hands shook when she slipped a long silken cord from her field pack. She practiced and practiced with her weapon for so long and never once was able to use it in the field for what it was truly meant for. Now, it was its time to shine!

Holding some of the cord in her hand in a roll, she began to swing the end that had an eight-ounce silver weight at the end. The meteor hammer became a swirl of pink, making a soft whirling sound as she waited for the right moment to strike.

Ringo bellowed, his yolk sliding from him when cut by one of the larger monsters in a swipe. It lunged after the large ox, only for a small ball of glinting silver to crack the fiend's face in. It fell to the road, it's body breaking apart in defeat.

Shahoumaru drew his string-less bow. Performing a set of one-handed seals, his chakra charged. Shahoumaru gathered charka to his hand, uttered a prayer and then drew back on a simmering bowstring of bluish white energy.

In a blaze of white, an arrow appeared. In a blinding light, it struck an undead woman/snake and passed through her to the next fiend. The monsters dropped to the ground and away from the carriage. Bones, corpses of both beast and man disassembled and fell to the ground. Using one-hand seals, the brown haired boy uttered his jutsu, then released the arrow. Upon hitting the bulky frame of a man, the reanimated body began to expand and contort.

Violet eyes widened as Shahoumaru yelped, "Hit the deck!"

There were a loud pop and chunks of rotten waterlogged flesh blasted from the monster. Gooey green and black blood splattered onto the three teammates, two of which whom looked at the white-wearing Shahoumaru rather dully.

"Okay," mumbled Haruka as she wiped goo from her face and then flicked it to the ground. "I would have expected that out of Hike-kun, but you Shahoumaru-kun?"

"Yeah, only I would make something explode like - Hey, that's wasn't nice!" snapped Hike as he clenched his fist at his female teammate.

With an anger mark pulsing on his forehead, Shahoumaru snapped, "It was supposed to combust into flames! Not explode!"

"Whatever, just how do we defeat these things!" cried Hike. "There's too many to keep taking them out one by one!"

Looking at his teammate, Shahoumaru said, "Use fire on them, Hike. They will be weak against it!"

"How do you know that?" countered Hike as he inched away from the approaching goat man.

"Duh," said Haruka as she twirled her meteor hammer with not much effort, then launched it toward a boar fiend. "All undead creatures are practically sensitive to fire."

"Where are you getting this bogus information from?" spat Hike as he glared at the two as they continued to take down the skeletal and dead fiends.

"TV," said Haruka plainly.

Shahoumaru said, "Video games, but I was also raised at a shrine, momma's boy! I would know that fire is usually the greatest weakness against the undead! Either that or salt, but we're kind of low on exorcism materials right now! Besides, you are a ninjutsu specialist, especially when it comes to fire! You're the freaking Fire Daimyo's grandson! So use some of that fancy spell work and get rid of this horde of monsters!"

"Fine, alright! Bu-But if I become one of them, I'm kicking your ass, _houshi!_" cried Hike as he slid into a defensive pose. Quickly his hands flew through hand signs that ended with _tora _as he said, "_Katon_: Grand Fireball Jutsu!"

Smiling he plugged one side of his nose and then blew with all his might out the clear nostril. In a blazing inferno, fire snorted from his nose and engulfed a group of three zombie monsters in an enormous whirling ball of flame, scorching the ground and few trees around and leaving smoke in its wake. Their figures wobbled before collapsing to the ground.

Taking a breath of air, Hike flashed through another set of seals, this time ending with a reversed tora hand sign as he said, "Katon: _Ryuuhi!" _

As more approached, Hike blasted them with blue flames that roared from his mouth. The cadavers instantly fell. Haruka danced. Her body was elegant and aerobatic as she weaved her way through a larger group of fiends and used her meteor hammer to break the skulls that some wore as helms or simply knocked their heads off. More of the fiends continued to come, rising from the depths of the swamps around them.

A huge horde of them surrounded her, and Haruka closed her eyes and coiled her meteor hammer into her hands. They were chakra empowered but, that was it. She could feel minuscule amounts of chakra being fed to them, which gave them the slow and rather pitiful movements and the simple minded objection to attack whatever they saw. It would be easy to just dispel their charka.

"CHARGING!" Haruka screamed over the chattering and humming horde.

Her voice met with her _sensei's_ ears who glanced the girl's way but had to block the sword of the rat helmed warrior. They were well enough away for her to use that technique. Upon hearing their teammate's warning, Shahoumaru and Hike to looked to each other and began to instantaneously seek shelter. They were too close.

"Twenty-five percent!" warned Haruka as her hair burst from their pig tails and starting to wave as dangerous tendrils while her body shook from drawing in charka.

"Hurry up with the barrier!" urged Hike as Shahoumaru sheathed his bow.

"Fifty percent!" Haruka counted down, as the monsters slowly approached her.

The brown haired boy performed different seals from traditional ninja ones, then spun a _kunai_ in his hand.

"Seventy-five percent!" again she warned, her body glowing acrid green, the energy around her thick as a mist and dangerous as miasma.

Jamming the _kunai_ into the ground, Shahoumaru shouted, "Barrier Activate!" Just as Haruka yelled, "One-hundred! Disruption Eruption! KAI!"

Pure white spirit energy of a holy shield surrounded Hike and Shahoumaru just as a blast rattled the area. An acid green ring of destructive chakra rolled over the area from Haruka. Animal and human corpses fell, bones rattled to the ground as the animated charka that held them together instantly dispelled. The ring of energy died out at fifty feet and canceled out any chakra that was in its wake.

Haruka's eyes glazed and fluttered closed. Her now pure white hair fluttered down to her mid back. Her body swayed and began to fall, for Shahoumaru to suddenly be at her side to gently take hold of her and set her on the ground.

* * *

Hazuki cried as she clutched Momo to her and kept her eyes closed as Yousuke stared in disbelief at his father. Grabbing his bloodied hand, Yousuke pulled his father into the carriage and slammed the door shut.

"Shit," breathed Yousuke as he pressed on wounds only to release them when he knew he couldn't stop the blood. The carriage shook again and Ringo bellowed. "_Chichi_, ju-just hold on. Just-Sakura!" he screamed, his eyes glassy as he searched beyond the open windows for the medic _kunoichi_. "Sakura! Sakura, please help me!"

"Pr-protect her, s-son . . ." murmured Kenji with his eyes half open as they began to cloud from pain and oncoming death.

"Shut up! Just keep quiet, save your energy, _chichi_. It's going to be alright." Yousuke uttered, his arms shaking as he pulled his father closer to him and tears unconsciously streaming down his face. "Sakura will come and fix you. I'll be alright. I know she can take the poison out. She'll patch you up in no time. SAKURA-CHAN!"

"You-Yousuke . . ." whispered Kenji as his shaking hand clasping the young man's shirt, causing the distraught young man to look down at him. "Only you . . . You can p-p-prot-t-tect th-the gem. Th-That is why I ch-chose you. Th-that is why, I did th-this, Yousuke. Please don't be an-angry with me, when you learn the t-t-t-truth."

Yousuke's own voice quivered as he said, "Stop, _chichi_."

"P-P-P-Protect the t-t-_tama_, s-son. Y-Your sister. M-Momo i-is th-the gem." he uttered as blood dribbled from his chin. "I-I'm s-sorry... I-I sh-should have t-t-told you from th-th-the beginning. P-P-Please find i-it in y-y-your heart t-to forgive a f-foolish man."

"Shut up." cried Yousuke. He shook his head. "You're delusional right now. Where is she? Just, hold on, okay? SAKURA-CHAN!"

Collapsing in Yousuke's grip, he exhaled, "I-I'm s-s-sorry . . . N-Naruto."

That was it. Just like that, Kenji was dead. Gone. His body no longer animated and his soul expelled. The carriage shook from the slaughter that took place outside. Clanging of _kunai,_ grunts of Sakura and Shikamaru holding themselves against whatever force suddenly came down upon them seemed to echo around them.

"Oh. Wow, he didn't last long at all, did he?"

Yousuke looked from the body of his father to the woman who now sat next to him. Momo looked at him horrified as the woman held her tightly against her. Hazuki had curled into a corner, her face was hidden behind her knees and her hands over her ears.

"I think I'll be taking my darling little niece now." said Kikiyo as she slid one of her long, sharp fingernails across the girl's throat. It drew blood. "Once she's out of the way for good, no one can stop me from taking over Sawa!"

Reaching out to Yousuke, Momo strained, her voice hissed as air rushed from her. Yousuke shot out to grasp her wrist. He found nothing but air. Panic rose within him as he searched for the vanished woman and his baby sister.

"Momo! MOMO!"

The _miko_ smiled as she stood outside of the carriage again. Smiling radiantly as she held Momo threateningly, and it caused him to twitch as heat erupted from his stomach. Momo was trying her hardest to scream to him. Her voice strained, air choking on words that desperately wanted to be freed from their confines.

"Let her go." Said Yousuke, his eyes void and fist clenched white.

Kikyo taunted, "What if I say, no. What are you going to do then, invalid? Do you really want to risk your life for a sack of flesh that isn't even of your own blood?"

He wanted to smash that woman's face in; to rip that fucking smile from it and rip it apart. The priestess's grinning face caused something within him to completely shatter, for it reminded him of another insanely grinning pale face with hard peridot eyes.

"I said let her GO!" screamed Yousuke, his voice deepened as his lips sneered in pure hate and anger.

Piercing Momo's flesh with one of her talon fingers, the girl meekly yelped as tears streamed from her eyes. The _miko_ shifted and laughed as the talon extended into Momo's throat. Momo squirmed in the woman's grip. She was going to die . . . but she didn't want to die! When the priestess's nail began to run across her neck and press into her neck to cut her deep, Momo screamed, "AAANNNNIIIIII!"

Momo never spoke. She had not said one word in almost ten years . . . and like a siren, it rang within Yousuke's ears, to then rattle his mind. Everything slowed for Yousuke. It was as if a trigger suddenly went off and everything human about him became void.

Deep within the forgotten darkness of forbidden boundaries, scarlet glowing eyes opened. "**Ku, ku, ku, ku, ku.**"

* * *

**Japanese Words**

Sawa no Riku: land of swamp, or in that sense

Nezumi: rat (if I remember right and spelled it right)

Miko: shrine maiden or priestess

Houshi: monk (if I remember right)

Tora: tiger

Katon: Fire Style (or something like that, I'm not sure if I spelled it right either)

Ryuuhi: dragon fire


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**: I did not create nor own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because they were inspired and imagined from the help of the Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Eight:** **What Rage Evokes**

"_**D**_amn rogues," grumbled Shikamaru as he rolled his shoulders and surveyed the area around him. "This is too easy, which makes this unsettling."

"Ragh!" cried Sakura as her kick sent the rat man to the ground.

Her foot followed the man down as Sakura added chakra to her leg to add weight and pressure for when she stomped it into the ground. It squealed sickly as she cratered the thing. She leaped back, panted lightly from the workout, and then watched and waited to see what it would do.

A bony finger flinched. An arm jerked. Teeth chattered as the swamp rat helmed zombie rose from the ground. Broken bones snapped back together as torn flesh mended. It turned to Sakura with its empty eyes. Nezumi sunk to a crouch and then done something Sakura wasn't expecting. It spat at her. It shot clear liquid onto her bare left shoulder.

It bubbled, hissed and steamed as Sakura screamed. Chattering teeth neared as the tailbone sword it wielded swung toward her. Nezumi screeched when a chakra fed knuckle knife crashed into its skull and sent it rolling. The sword clanked onto the ground.

Keeping guard over Nezumi, Shikamaru glanced back at Sakura as he said, "Acid?"

"Fuck yeah," hissed Sakura as pain sheared through her shoulder as it had already boiled and burned holes into her skin and melted splotches of her clothes and flesh.

Gritting her teeth through the pain, Sakura calmed herself. Carefully she performed the right seals and began to use the Mystic Palm technique to heal herself.

"It's getting up, Sakura." Shikamaru warned.

Sakura healed herself enough to move comfortably, and then said, "Hold it down for me will you, Shikamaru?"

He merely gave a nod. Performing the proper seals and having plenty of shadows to work with, Shikamaru easily used the Shadow Bind to capture the now standing Nezumi. It became extremely loud as it tried to move but couldn't.

Sakura approached the monster. She limped lightly as her shoulder was an angry red with the skin not fully healed. Everything had to be timed perfectly with Shikamaru holding the monster down. If he moved too soon, the rat would move out of Sakura's shot. If Shikamaru didn't move quick enough, well, he'd wake up with one hell of a headache later. In an angry jerk, Sakura moved.

Shikamaru watched as Sakura's fist neared the monster's mask. Centimeters before her fist connected, he released the shadow. In a squeal, the masked thing zoomed to the other side of the road. Its skull mask cracked only to fall apart leaving nothing within. The cadaver body connected to the skull fell to the ground done.

"That one was a pain in the ass, but the others fell so easily." panted Sakura as she examined her shoulder. "Shouldn't they be a little more resistant-"

She froze. Shikamaru also stiffed upon the _ki_ that filled the air and deadened it. Sakura's _genin_ stopped what they were doing, their faces were frozen with horror as they couldn't move with the killing intent so heavy in the air. The other zombie like creatures jerked oddly, many collapsing as they lost their animating connection. Haruka groaned in her unconscious state, her body thrashing as if she were suddenly caught in the depths of nightmares. Hike threw up, only to fall his knees, his body limply crashed to the ground as he passed out. Shahoumaru visibly shook as he lowered to his knees, his eyes closed and his hands together as he began to pray.

"This isn't good," stated Shikamaru as he moved next to Sakura as she shuttered.

Sakura mumbled, "I-It . . . It can't be . . ."

* * *

Black lips curved into an evil smile upon a vulpine face that exposed sharp ivory teeth. "**It's been a while since I've paid rent.**"

Rage fueled Yousuke as he shot out of the carriage. The force caused the door to blast off. Yousuke howled while he had the woman by her throat within seconds. The talon ripped from Momo's neck causing her to wince, but the wound wasn't deep. Her ears picked up on sounds of twisting gristle and the cracking of bones. Brown eyes widened as she watched her brother ripped the woman's arm that held her from its socket.

Momo dropped to the ground and watched as her brother changed the woman again. Something primal had taken over Yousuke as he was on the woman as a rabid dog. He looked so angry. The lines on his face widened into more feral stripes; his eyes even looked as if they turned red.

The woman couldn't even croak a scream as they fell to the ground. With his fist, he began to beat that smile, to erase it from her face. The priestess only smiled and laughed as her form turning into gooey mud. Quickly Yousuke turned and caught the staff directed at his head. The knurled wood cracked in his grip, and quickly the woman pulled away. She vanished in a swirl of miasma reappearing behind him. She yelped when he kicked her away with so much force the clone splattered onto the trunk of a tree.

"Ooh, is the baby mad that I killed his daddy?" taunted Kikiyo as she grinned insanely at him from another place. Yousuke charged toward her, only to slide to a stop when another clone standing in the distance snickered, "Or is he upset that I'm going to kill his sisters too?"

He growled in response as chakra began to emit from his form.

The Kikiyo clone closest to Yousuke leaned against a tree and said, "Why are you even fighting me?" The other clone said, "They're not even your real family. They're nothing but pawns, like you."

Fangs elongated within Yousuke's mouth as a black sneer lined his lips. His face grew dangerous and evil, just as chakra intensified. The red energy swirled around him and then exploded. In a slash of this foreign energy, the clone slumped into the murk. Yousuke only saw red as he angrily roared sending huge vibrations throughout the area. The sheer force of the energy caused the woman's mud clones to pop and burst from the tremors. The real one stood amazed in the shadows of the forest, her brown eyes curious and excited.

Quickly, Yousuke turned to the priestess's hiding place and charged. Yousuke yelped when abruptly he was sent flying back. Kikiyo was extremely fast, appearing and disappearing in the thick miasma that stung at his lungs and burned his eyes. She jabbed him in the stomach, swung the bottom of the staff up to strike him in the groin, round-housed kicked him, and then on top of that performed a simple henge no jutsu and pointed the staff at him.

He gasped when a white spearhead pierced through his abdomen. Blood flowed onto what once was a skull but now was a deadly bone spear. Stepping out of the blade, the wound steamed and healed rapidly causing Kikiyo's smile to alter. He knocked the staff away as he rushed her. Right punch to her gut, left punch to her chest, right uppercut, knee to her stomach, back hand, and then gripped her arm to twirl the priestess around like a doll only to toss her into the truck of an old cypress tree.

Wood splintered into the air and the priestess's smile turned into a scoff. She shot off the tree aiming her bone spear once more, only for Yousuke to deflect it and clobber her away with a right hook. Again she launched herself at him. Thick noxious mist began to fill the area as she danced around him and hid in the miasma. She would constantly circle him and only appear to stab him with the spear.

He growled as he was growing tired of her nit-pick attacks. She kept moving. Her image appeared in one place only to shimmer to another from the miasma surrounding them. He blasted the miasma away by roaring and expelling pure chakra into the air.

"Vocation of the Holy Power: Burst!"

There was a sound of a bell. The _kyuubi_ educed young man turned to her just as her palm appeared in his face. White unadulterated energy blew away the demonic red chakra causing Yousuke to stumble back. Painful screams of both a young man and a beast vibrated through the air. The howls of pain morphed into furious roars that predicted doom to those nearby.

More scarlet chakra appeared, swirling angrily as skin melted and blood beaded and blended with the chakra. The red faded and became black as a shell formed around Yousuke. He fell to his hands, crouched and gekkered as his form no longer looked completely human. Four tails swayed behind him, as his glowing eyes seemed to smile at the deranged priestess.

"Great God Inari, what is this beast?" whispered the priestess as her smile faltered.

The newly formed monster turned to her and roared. In a ring of destructive energy, the swamps around wavered. Trees uprooted, the ground cratered, the water evaporated while simple creatures around instantly died from the sheer force and pressure. Kikiyo winced as she shielded herself from the fox's rage. She twisted and leaped away from where its blacked clawed hand smashed into the ground. Chunks of hardpan shot into the air as murk spattered. Its tails curled as it opened its mouth and energy began to manifest into a dark orb. Kikyo watched as the energy accumulated into a dark orb of energy, for the monster to then snap his jaws over the energy sphere and swallow it.

Deep brown eyes widened when the kyuubified man turned to her and opened his maw. A concussion beam of energy blasted from the creature's mouth at her. The priestess moved just in time and watched as the blast rushed through the forest only to implode. The _miko_ screamed as she was swept away in the turbulence. In a gasp, she used the body flicker to move away from the boy's dangerous claws and chakra when he once again appeared before her. Red energy burst from the ground in the form of a clawed hand and gripped the woman before she could run. She jerked into the air and toward him. Her staff clucked to the ground. Her grin left her face as she stared at the glowing eyes of the four-tailed fox. Its entire body was surrounded by tainted red and black energy and had a form that made her quiver with fear.

_I see now, Kenjima. Very clever you bastard _thought the priestess as she struggled within the beast's grip.

"The legend is true," said Kikiyo as she closed her eyes. She laughed, "And the gem will be protected by a great beast, a monster in the guise of a man . . ."

The energy that burned her flesh and suffocated her with its taint, flung her to the ground. The beast roared angrily. Like a rag doll, he flung her body against the trees and boulders around. Mud splattered and the clone became nothing.

"I'm sorry to say that today is not my day to die." said the _miko_ calmly as she rose from the staff the clone dropped.

Before Yousuke could attack, tendrils of roots shot from the ground and twisted around his arms and legs. The roots yanked him to the ground as more slithered over his enraged form. The _miko_ sauntered closer, the skull on her staff, its eyes burned black as the thick thorny vines and roots had the _kyubbi_ educed man captured.

Chakra burns steamed on her skin as she knelt before Yousuke and said, "Interesting. I'm curious to how Kenjima managed to make you. I guess we'll find out next time round, ne?"

Roots steadily snapped, and the _miko_ wasn't stupid. She knew that the conjured roots wouldn't hold the raging beast down for long. The priestess's laugh only infuriated the _biju_.

In a surge of chakra, Yousuke freed himself and howled as he angrily screamed at the sky.

"Amazing," said Kikiyo with scowled eyes as she smiled wickedly.

The four-tails charged at her. In a swirl of miasma, she was gone. He slashed at the ground and searched for her. He sent a chakra shockwave against the forest that cut through the swamp as he gekkered enraged. A twig behind him snapped; instantly he turned with his offense ready. Momo stood there looking up at him wretchedly, her brown eyes glistened with tears. She stumbled toward him.

"NO! Don't step any closer to him, Momo!" screamed Sakura as she reached out for the child she ran toward.

A tail snapped the _kunoichi_ back as the four-tails grew defensive once again. Tails, four blazing tails bubbling with destructive and powerful chakra encircled, careful not to touch the peach-haired girl and corralled her closer to the enraged man. Crouched upon on the ground, his tails swaying ominously, the cloak of tails kept anyone from nearing the girl. The _kyuubified_ man sat there. He just sat there and waited.

Shikamaru took in a deep breath. He watched the four-tailed form as he said, "How the hell did this happen?"

"There is only one way this could have happened," stated Sakura as she winced as she healed her own chakra burns. "What do you suggest we do?"

"Troublesome . . . that form he had. Its nothing like the one Naruto obtained in the end. it's like he and the biju's chakra are not even linked. Also, what is stopping him from attacking us? Why is he keeping the kid there with him?" inquired Shikamaru with his eyes fixated hard on the fox form that was Yousuke.

The creature continued to breathe in slow strained breaths. Its glowing eyes were dull as it continued to wait.

"Something isn't right," said Sakura.

"Ah-_aannii_?" uttered Momo as she kept her eyes on her brother as he glared past her. Momo placed her hands on his face and stared into his whitened eyes as the chakra burned her hands. They sizzled and steamed, but the girl bit back the pain. Tears leaked from her eyes as she desperately said, "_Ani_. Sssstt-t-opp."

Like the wind, her voice, sweet and kind drifted into his mind. Glowing eyes blinked as strips of black began to peel away. Red energy defused and left instantaneous healed skin that steamed and bled. Yousuke collapsed to his knees. The red chakra swirled, retracted and vanished. Red irises bled away and allowed the blue flecks of pigment to reclaim their place.

Momo winched as her hands burned to the point of blood. Yet the girl signed, "Brother is okay now?"

Blankly he looked ahead. His body ridged, shoulders slump and expression dead. His blue eyes were clouded in a haze. Yousuke was clearly no longer there. There was merely a shell of a young man.

"_Ani_?" signed Momo as she lifted his head to look into his eyes once more causing blood to smear on his whisker-lined face. He looked through her. She shook his shoulders and whimpered, "_Ani_? _**Ani**_?" Frantically Momo looked to the others behind her as she signed, "What is wrong with him? Someone needs to help him! Please! Please help him!"

* * *

Snow.

Deep black snow fell from a stormy gray sky.

_Why does it hurt so much_?

Black clumps of snow continued to fall. It was much heavier now and covered the ground in its abysmal dark hue.

_Why is there so much pain attached to these images_?

It looked more like falling ash than snow. Holding out his hand a clump of snow fell into his palm. It turned white, and he closed his eyes.

. . . _Please, Naruto. Please bring . . . home. This is all I will ever ask of you, Naruto. _ _Tears steadily ran down her cheeks, her tone so sad and pleading._

_I promise, Sakura-chan. I'll bring . . . back._ . . .

He opened his eyes and the clump of snow was gone. He didn't hear the name of the person he was supposed to bring back. He felt his metaphysical cheeks. They were wet from the silent tears he shed. There were so many different memories, encodes that had so much emotion behind them…it hurt. Why was it so cold where his shattered memories resided?

He continued to sit for what seemed to be hours, his eyes close upon the roof of some random building as he one by one caught snow and absorbed the memory. They were so jumbled now. Memories of Naruto always seemed to be so strong. They were motivating and pain filled. Then there were his past memories of being Yousuke that were weak and empty feeling as if they were never really his, to begin with.

"Who am I looking for?" wondered the man aloud as he overlooked his inverted world. "Who am I?"

There was only black and white. What should have been white was black, while what should have been black was white. The man was in a place he knew, but just couldn't quite remember. There was a mountain, one with five faces upon it. It was comforting to just sit there upon the roof and gaze at the faces upon the mountain.

"Just let it come, stop pushing it back. Once you are free of me, this place will become what it once was."

He turned to the boy that sat next to him. It was the dirty-blond: the real Yousuke.

"But it hurts." said the broken man. He looked at the faded form of Yousuke. That was odd. It was as if Yousuke was losing his color. The sunny-haired blond shook his head and went back to watching the mountain. "I don't like the feel of some of the memories. They're painful. I don't want to feel pain. Especially not this pain."

Yousuke calmly said, "You can't just remember the happy times, pretender. You have to remember both the good and the bad."

The pretender said, "I don't know what you're talking about." He looked at Yousuke and asked, "Do you know me? Am I you or am I someone else?"

A warm breeze blew from behind him and the very confused young man turned. Something called to him from there. A whispered voice beckoned him to come, to follow the hollow sounds of the wind. There was something new in his disrupted world. It was an entrance to what looked to be a cavern. He found himself standing before it within a blink of an eye.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you. Not yet anyway."

The pretender looked down to a young boy who stood there next to him. He tilted his head confused. The boy looked to be in his preteens, wore a green pair of goggles on his forehead and wore a bright orange jumpsuit. This boy was shadowed though, having a faded dark form.

The kid of twelve looked up at him and said, "You're not ready."

"Not ready for what? What is in there?"

He walked past the grimacing boy to see what was calling him. It sounded like a humming as if something both wonderful and terrible was at the other end. It made him feel that if he kept going he would receive all of his answers.

The boy called after the young man, "You need to know who you are before you even go in there! I'm warning you! You're not ready!"

The young man noticed that the snow instantly faded as he entered the cavern that turned into a more guttural sewer. He slouched through water up to his ankles as he began to hear what sounded like breathing. Sewer walls began to show more openings, lines that ran in and out of the huge pipe that seemed to continue spiraling downward into a pit of oblivion. The deeper he trekked, the darker it became. After what felt to be hours, he came before a tall iron gate with a faded and tattered paper seal directly upon the center of it.

"What is this?" he asked, as he neared the tall gates as he stared up at it.

Something shifted beyond the bars and caused the water to shift ominously as he stepped back. The waters grew choppy, almost as if they were acting on his own fear and anxiety.

"What is this?" a low gravelly voice responded. It sounded kind enough to the shattered young man. "These are where your true memories are locked away, _Yousuke. _Do you wish to end this madness? To go back to how things were before? Back when you knew who you were and didn't have these pesky problems?"

"Who are you?" the young man questioned.

There was a subtle guttural laugh. "I am merely another part of you that wishes to help, unlike those other figments. Don't trust them, _Yousuke_. They don't want you to be happy. They only want to hurt you. Me though. I am different. I _want _to help you, _Yousuke_."

"Help. You'll really help me?" asked the blond-haired man. He stepped closer to the bars, peering through them. "What do I have to do?"

Something large shifted, and he could feel whatever it was smiling as it said, "All you have to do is release that seal. Then, everything will return to normal. The _real _you will be released. The real you will be _free_."

"That's it?" asked the man as a smile creased on his face. "That is all I have to do?"

"Of course, _Yousuke. _It is that easy. So what are you waiting for, _remove the seal._" the last part came out more like an excited growl.

The pretender began to peel the seal from the top that caused a fracture of a tear to form, only for a sudden burst of blue energy to shoot him away. Landing in the water and then having the air knocked out of him from hitting the wall, Yousuke gasped in the air as he stared at the gate. For a split second, he could have sworn he saw a man within the brilliant light, only now the area was void of such a thing.

"**Damn you, to the very pits of hell, **_**Yondaime**_**!**" an unholy roar rumbled the chamber that caused Yousuke to quiver. "**I was so close to being free! One day, I'll be able to rip your soul to shreds properly you lowly **_**shinobi**_ **bastard! I will be used like this no more! I will not be turned on and off like some random conductor! Let me free, boy or I'll gut you and force you to watch me feast on your innards!**" A monster rammed into the iron gates. It roared as red energy crashed into the outer cavern and hit Yousuke head on. It took his incorporeal breath away. "**I said to **_**release me**_**!**" the larger than life fox screamed at the pretender causing the young man to gaze upon it blankly.

Menacing red eyes of deep scarlet stared down a frightened young man as he felt sick from the pressure the beast expelled. He couldn't control nausea that spattered into the water. Gripping the bars with its massive paws, the giant fox screamed enraged as he rattled and shook the bars trying to make them break or shift, but they continued to hold true.

It calmed down abruptly. It shifted red eyes on the pretender. "**Such a pathetic creature you have become, boy. Falling for such trickery . . . Ku, ku, ku it was fun watching you squirm though. Odd how you don't remember the fight and struggle between us. Or even a moment just like I acted out for you. Ku, ku, ku . . . You even hurt yourself using my chakra. Fool. If you'd just remember, you'd realize you have far more than enough power to protect those sisters of yours.**"

"Sisters? I-I have sisters?" uttered the young man as he looked away from the fox. In the pooling water that now had risen to his hips, images of faces came into view one of Hazuki and the other of Momo. "That's right. They're my kid sisters . . ."

"**Ku, ku, ku. Forgot about them already, ne? Ku, ku.**"

Wh-what are you?" the blond-haired man asked.

The fox grinned and bared its massive ivory teeth as it laughed. "**You know who I am, boy. You know **_**what**_ **I am. Just say my name, and it'll come flooding back to you.**"

"No," mumbled the pretender as he wearily watched the giant chakra fox. "You're trying to trick me again."

The young man screamed when the monster suddenly swiped at him, its massive arm slid between the bars with ease. Its claw was mere inches from his legs, the chakra it emitted caused the water to steam from the heat of its awesome power and energy. When the paw scraped back and rose for another strike, the pretender quickly scrambled away.

"**You can't run forever, boy! You can't even run from me! Ku, ku. I am always here. I am always in the shadows, you little shit. Just remember that! You'll never be rid of me! I'll be right here waiting! Right here, Naruto.**"

He ran to escape the maze of his chakra lines and back to the sanctuary of his mind. It took forever it seemed to find the open cavern. The man fell onto black snow of his deranged mindscape.

"What the fuck were you thinking!" the shadowed clone of himself screaming. He snatched up the man and shouted, "What were you thinking going in there you stupid son of a-" He caught himself before he went too far.

"What was that thing." asked the young man as he could feel himself still shaking.

Glaring at him the clone said, "You know who that is. Stop fucking around, pretender. This isn't fun and games anymore! You're endangering everyone's lives because of your selfishness. Now stop running from the truth and face it!"

"Fuck you!" spat the pretender as he pushed the shadow away. "Get out of my head! Stop fucking with me!"

"You are not Yousuke, and soon you won't have any of his past memories to cling to, pretender." stated the clone as he pushed the man back. "Stop kidding yourself. Tell me who you really are, pretender. Say your name!"

The young man said nothing. He merely stood there and stared at the shadow that was becoming more focused. After a long pause, the blond-haired man looked to the black snow of the ground.

"I don't know who I am."

"Stubborn bastard." snapped the clone as he punched the man hard in the face.

His body jerked when he woke. Sweat covered his form while he could feel himself shaking. There was a soft beeping sound, machines lowly hummed when their gears turned and emptied more liquid into his IV line. Eyes fluttered open and found blank white ceiling panels looking back at him. The clean sterile smell in the air, the crisp white of the walls, medical equipment seemingly in every corner . . .

"Great. I'm in a hospital." He whimpered to then let out a dejected sigh.

"I have never seen anything like it."

He calmed his breathing upon hearing a woman's voice outside his door. Silently he sat up and looked to the door curiously and wondering who's voice it was. It sounded familiar, but then again it sounded so, foreign.

"This is defiantly complicated. The work of a master - Sakura, my family doesn't even have techniques for what I found in his mind. Implanted memories, altered memories, barriers, triggers; it's a maze of tripwires and fucking landmines in that guys mind! I didn't think someone's head could be so screwed up and still be able to work appropriately." said the woman with a tired voice.

"Is it him though, Ino?" Sakura questioned.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**: I did not create nor own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because they were inspired and imagined from the help of the Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Nine:** **I am Uzumaki Naruto!**

_**I**_no paused and stared at the pink haired _kunoichi_ before her. The young woman frowned at her friend's features. Yamanaka Ino remembered this disheveled look. Those hopeful, restless and desperate eyes; Sakura's frailty showed. Sakura reverted to her sleepless self that was determined to find any answers, any clues to settle her heart and mind. It had been almost four or five years since Ino had witnessed Sakura this way.

"When was the last time you slept, Sakura, after seeing this guy?" inquired Ino as she propped a hand on her hip.

With an agitated shake of her head, Sakura grumbled, "What does my sleeping have anything to do with-"

"We worry about you, Sakura," stated Ino which caused the pink-haired woman to stoop. "I haven't seen you this way since Kakashi ordered you to stop looking for Naruto. When you were admitted . . . It was hard for you back then. I understand that, but Sakura, you don't have to guard yourself anymore. It's him. You finally found him. After all these years when we gave up, you never did. You can rest now, Sakura."

"So its really him." said Sakura as she clenched her hand over her heart and closed her eyes.

"You're asking me that after he went four-tails on you and Shikamaru?" asked Ino as she propped her hands on Sakura's shoulders. She let out sigh. "How much more confirmation do you need, Sakrua? Blood work matches, chakra reserve test have been confirmed, their ages match, hell Sakura their DNA is exact. That man lying in that bed is Naruto. Without a doubt he is Naruto."

His right brow rose at that peculiar name that he was starting to hear more and more of. _Naruto? _He felt queasy, his stomach fluttered with excitement while he felt…different. Finding the plastic clear cup of water on a table next to him, the blond-haired man quickly soothed his parched throat. There were flowers on the table he picked his glass up from, along with a pitcher of water. He poured more water into his cup and noticed the cards and baskets that sat in the windowsill and on another table. Someone had even left a few balloons that read, 'Congratulations, it's a Boy'.

"Okay." he mumbled as he cocked one of his brows confused.

His ears continued to listen for more from the women in the hall, is that they talked loud enough for him to eavesdrop.

Sakura crossed her arms as she stared at the door to the missing ninja's room. She rubbed her lips and tried to keep herself calm at this information while also fighting back the shivers that wanted to jolt uncontrollably.

Ino rubbed her face only to then run her hands over her platinum blonde hair. She was tired. She exhausted herself while within the confines of Naruto's mind.

Looking to her rival who also doubled as her best friend, Ino said, "It was a good thing that you were sent on this mission, Sakura. Most of his awakened memories revolve around you. There are some with Shikamaru too that are starting to appear, but it is a slow transition because everything is so jumbled and blotched that he is having problems decoding everything.

"You see, most of his retrograde memories have been repressed to a point that it is like they never existed. The encoding was ridiculous for these memories because whoever altered his mind didn't take any of his retrograde memories out. They simply gathered them up, compressed them and then encoded them differently, stored them in a more distant place within the hippocampus then, they inserted new data, encoded it and placed these memories into his temporal lobes with connections to the old ones in the hippocampus part of his brain. The implanted memories are what he has been using as a base for the past ten years, Sakura. It's not that Naruto doesn't know who he is or even forgotten. Naruto has been overwritten, therefore does not exist, at least not until now."

"You're not making sense." Sakura pointed out, slightly confused. "Are you saying that even though that is Naruto lying in there, he isn't?"

"Bingo." chirped Ino. "For the past ten years, Naruto has literally been gone. He has been living the honest to goodness life of Ichikita Yousuke. Now, here is the skinny on the implanted memories that are going to make you flip. They're real memories."

"Real?"

"Yes, as in real memories from another human being. There actually was a man named Yousuke. He was a real person. Neither Hazuki or Momo are even related, not even Yousuke was related to the girls. They were all used . . . Naruto, Hazuki . . . they both were used to create some type of messed up scheme to hide Momo.

"Shikamaru was able to dig up some info for me and found the life records for a Shidomoto Yousuke, a boy who died ten years ago during a raid, and what is freaky, is that the data in his life records, _match _a lot of the memories that were placed into Naruto. Yousuke's memories, his life experiences, his education, his endeavors . . . they were basically downloaded into Naruto from the original source.

"Now, these implanted memories are starting to evaporate. Not the memories from when Naruto was, Yousuke, but the memories that turned him into Yousuke. He will forget Yousuke's past but will keep his experiences and knowledge and intergrade them in with his own in different memory banks. Any bonds Naruto created while as Yousuke, he will remember, so when he wakes up he will probably still claim those two girls as his siblings unless he wakes up not remembering anything at all."

"Why would that happen?" asked Sakura with her voice perplex and anxious.

"That sudden dosage of _potent _chakra is the thanks to that. That is why he suddenly went into withdrawal mode on you guys. His mind needed a jumpstart. If he was confused before, especially with having conflicting memories and then jogging memories because of you and Shikamaru, he is going to be worst shape now because when he wakes up this time, he might not know who the hell he is. Is he going to be Yousuke, or is he going to be Naruto, or is he going to be neither one or both? Then again, he might wake up and be the Naruto we last remember, a goofball sixteen-year-old who holds the power of a Sage." said Ino as she leaned back against the cool wall.

"What is happening to the implanted memories?" questioned Sakura as she turned from the door to look Ino in her vast turquoise eyes.

"They are disappearing, vanishing because his true memories are steadily decoding. Like I said earlier, Sakura. I have never seen anything like this. Whoever worked on him was a scientist. Hell, I don't even think Orochimaru or his medical henchman Kubuto could have accomplished something so complex and intelligent at the same time." Ino's voice turned into a hard whisper as she said, "It's down right scary to know that someone has this type of power to compress someone's entire existence and implant a completely new one. Naruto is lucky that whoever it was didn't wipe his memories out completely, otherwise once these fake memories were finished wiping out, he would be nothing more than a very confused person with no past at all."

Sakura turned her gaze to the floor. "Is there anything else?"

"I don't think I'm even half way done, Sakura." Sated Ino as she gazed at Sakura intensely. "Everything is so complex. I found this one portion encoding that slightly worries me. There is a long blank time in his memories. Normally they're considered repressed, blocked or even false memories. This blank encoding I think it is post-traumatic amnesia. That darkness is the key to what happened to him, Sakura, and with as deteriorated and collapsed it is, I don't think he'll ever regain those memories of before he went missing. He will never remember what happened that day, he'll never remember who done it to him, he'll never remember the pain or even exactly what happened to him, and neither will we.

"Up to that point I can't really figure anything out, it simply inverts and fades into nothing. From there, Naruto's encoding switches into Yousuke's encoding. Naruto went to a civilian high school with the aid of the implanted memories. Sakura, he knows things now that most _shinobi_ don't learn about. Politics, economics, world history, different languages, outrageous mathematical formulas - there is even a time in his past when his mind began to break. It wasn't a real good period for him because of the conflicting memories he began to do some really crazy things. Between old memories bleeding in with new memories, drugs and how his life was going at the time, he had a complete breakdown. Someone went back in and adjusted the fractures, but it wasn't a permanent fix. It's odd to see into his past memories and think that this person is Naruto."

Ino paused to catch her breath. Once having another good amount of air in her lungs, she continued. "I've broadened the links to his true memories so that way he is more acceptable to be jogged. Faces are going to be the worst for him, while _shinobi_ training might be the easiest thing in the world for him to remember. I could have forced his memories from their encryption, but I don't want to fuck up his mind. I have no idea what some of the barriers are for and I think that even Naruto had placed a lot of them himself but there are some that I don't think are of Naruto's own will." Ino rubbed her temples, her mind amuck with information and the need to do more research. "I do have a theory, besides the rest of the junk I can tell you about his instable mind."

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

"Whoever tampered with his mind, done it during his post-traumatic amnesia. During a time that Naruto couldn't remember who he was, couldn't remember where he was from, and when he was just a very lost teenager who didn't even know he was a ninja or even a _jinchuuriki_. Yousuke died at the age of sixteen, the same age that Naruto disappeared. Both look very much alike, had similar profiles and even the same blood type. Someone searched his mind and chose him, Sakura. That is all that I can think of because there are triggers that have been tripped in his mind recently."

Sakura looked to the floor in thought as she said, "He mentioned to Ichikita-sama that something within him felt as if it snapped." She looked to Ino's face as she said, "From what I understand is that he wasn't a fighter, but after he was hit in the head, something happened and he could suddenly fight astonishingly. Do you think that the blow to his head could have disrupted the memories, Ino? That it caused them to prematurely begin to rupture?"

"It's a possibility." admitted Ino as she crossed her arms over her chest and over her extended belly. "Whoever placed the fake memories was expecting Naruto to eventually recover his true memories. There was a trigger tripped the night they were attacked by the rogues, but after it happened it was supposed to reset. In your report, it said that he was hit in the head, right? Well, that trauma probably caused the trigger to stick open. Because it didn't close, he began to remember. It let memories leak through, especially memories of you. Then when Shikamaru came into the picture, the trigger became non-existent and images began to drain from the connection."

"Ichikita Momo's voice is another one of the triggers, but it's different. It's connected to the _kyubbi_." said Sakura lowly, her eyes stared into Ino's. "When she called out to him terrified, Naruto completely changed. The nine-tail's chakra surged throughout him. By the time we reached him, he was in a four-tailed form. When Momo spoke to him in a calmer voice, it was as if the light switch just went out and he completely stopped doing anything."

"Well, whoever did this knew what they were doing. Naruto is suffering from extreme retrograde amnesia, post-traumatic amnesia, source amnesia and I'm going go out on a limb and say repressed memory syndrome and he's probably going to through memory distrust syndrome. He's going to be a mess, so it's a good thing you brought him home, Sakura." said Ino.

"I hope so." said Sakura timidly. "We need to inform the Hokage and then reprehend on how everyone should act around him. It's not going to be easy for an amnesia victim in his condition to suddenly be bombarded with unfamiliar people wanting to suddenly see him."

"_Hai_," agreed Ino. "I just hope that he can handle this. Especially when he finds out the truth . . ."

Footsteps softly lead away, along with the women's low voices. He blinked. That conversation was a lot to take in. Was all of that true though? Did that Ino woman really find all that out? About what was taking place in his head? Did that mean he was this Naruto person then? Or, was he Yousuke?

_I feel lonely when I think of being the one called Naruto, but I feel empty when I think of being the one called Yousuke. Naruto . . . he doesn't have any family I don't think. Is that why I'm so protective over my _imootos_? If I'm not Yousuke does that mean that Hazuki and Momo aren't really my sisters? _

His stomach tightened nervously. It knocked the air right out of his chest and caused tears to sting at his eyes. No, that had to be wrong. He watched them grow, played with them, grew up with them - even if it were a life time or even only ten years. He knew what made those girls laugh, what made them cry, and he knew the things they feared and what made them happy. He knew his sisters because he took care of them all of those years. Didn't that qualify him to be their brother? Even though deep down he already knew that they were not blood, his heart didn't really give a shit. Hazuki and Momo _were_ his sisters, and no one was going to take them away from him. No one could take that away from him. They didn't have to be blood to be siblings.

He looked around the dull room and wondered where they were and if they were all right. They had to be safe if Sakura was here. Even the other woman Ino radiated safety and provided the blond haired man with added security that his sisters were just fine. Hell, this entire place felt safe. It felt like…home.

To keep the monitors from alarming, he turned them off. Plucking the sticky circular pads from the heart monitor from his chest, he then removed the IV line from his arm. He then slipped the odd halo of electrographs from his head and then the young man slid off the bed and his feet plopped onto the cold floor. Stumbling to the window, his mouth gaped as a huge wave of nostalgia hit him. His knees felt wobbly as he gazed over the Village Hidden in the Leaves at a gorgeous sunset. The red tiled roofs, tan buildings, tall green topped trees . . . Yeah, he remembered this place. It was vague, but it forced the loneliness from him and placed him in a sense of calm. This place no matter how foreign, it felt like home.

As night settled over the village, the young man continued to watch. _Shinobi_ bounded over the roof tops, birds fluttered tree to tree. It seemed to be so peaceful here; even the civilians seemed tranquil and happy. As he watched the village, he wondered who he really was. Was he Yousuke, or was he Naruto?

_I-I'm s-s-sorry... N-Naruto, _Kenji's voice rattled in his head.

_You know who you are. _His own voice scolded. _Just say it. Say your name. _

"What if I'm not him though." he wondered as he stubbornly scowled out into the growing night. "What if this is a mistake."

_You know it's not. You know that this isn't a mistake. Everything will make sense if you just accept it. You want to remember, right? Don't you want to remember her?_

"Sakura-chan." he whispered as his eyes lost their scowl.

_Remember what she is to you. Remember that she is one of your most precious of people. Remember her, remember yourself. Say your name._

Anticipation was building as his stomach swirled with excitement and paranoia. What would happen? How would if affect him? He could feel himself shaking as he took in a breath of air. This was it. It was do or die time. He could feel his stomach turning nervously while a nonexistent wind caused chills to run down his spine. The atmosphere in the room grew humid and heavy.

_What is your name?_

"Naruto."

. . .

And

. . .

There was nothing.

Looking around the room, he waited for something extravagant to happen; nothing did. There was no swirl of energy, no sudden realization, no clashing tidal waves of memories ransacking his brain or even a hint of a headache.

"I feel cheated," he mumbled in a pout as his shoulders stooped.

_What were you expecting? An implosion of intuition or something? Be rational, dumb ass. This is going to take time. Saying your name is just the first step to acceptance. Say it again, this time with some soul._

"Naruto." he said a little more confidently.

_Where's the passion? Come on, say it like you mean it!_

"Naruto!" Wow. That sounded really natural.

_Yeah! That's it!_

"Naruto." he said again, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile. "I am Naruto. Na. Ru. To. Naruto. Na-ru-to. I am Uzumaki Naruto!"

Instantly he paused. Did he just say that?

"Uzumaki Naruto." he said. His eyes widened. "That's me. Uzumaki Naruto. I am Uzumaki Naruto."

Opening the window, a nice cool breeze caressed his face. God, he felt good suddenly. He couldn't help but chuckle, and then shout into the atmosphere, "_WATASHI WA UZUMAKI NARUTO DESU YO_! _DATTLEBYO_!" with everything he had.

Birds scattered from their trees, a cat yowled, dogs began to bark while the cool air seemed to amplify his voice and cause it to both carry and echo around the village. He had never felt so happy before. Well, he had felt happy, but it has been a while since he felt so truthfully happy and exuberant. He sat there for a long while just smiling and taking in the night air.

The door slammed open and he yelped. The man quickly turned to see a barrage of people behind a very out of breath _kunoichi_. Sakura looked exotic, having one arm above her head, another below on the doorframe, while her feet and legs also provided support to keep the swarm of people out of the room.

"Sakura-chan!" said Naruto happily as he scratched the back of his head innocently as he smiled. "What brings you here?"

He rose one of his brows as she continued to use her body to block the doorway, due to the group of people growing behind her. There were so many people it seemed, all of them trying to get through the single small doorway. Women, men, children and were those dogs? He didn't know who any of people or animals were.

"You _idot_!" snapped Sakura as she glared her milky jade eyes at him. "Just shout to the whole village why don't you that you're alive!"

Pointing to the window he mumbled, "Didn't I just do that? Oh, wait. What do you mean by alive? Am I dead or something?"

"YO! Naruto!" greeted a man from under Sakura's arm. "Where the hell have you been?"

He had wild brown hair and red fang markings on his tan face. He wore an off white jacket and black pants. His eyes were animalistic too, almost canine. Naruto honestly had no idea who this person was.

Confused, the blond haired man mumbled, "Do I know you?"

"Naruto!" said another, a large man with auburn hair who waved over Sakura's shoulder. His cheeks bore spiral marks. "You look good, man. Maybe we can go get something to eat later! I'll treat you to some ramen!"

"Oh my, it really is him!" a woman giggled as she looked from under Sakura's other arm. Her brown hair was pulled into ox horns on the sides of her head. "There is no mistaking it, look at those whisker lines on his face!"

Between Sakura's legs a young man's head appeared. His brown hair was dark, his face hinting a five o'clock shadow and a tattered green scarf was around his neck.

"Is it really you boss?" he asked, his dark brown eyes hopeful.

Sakura quickly twisted her knuckles into his head as she grumbled, "Konohamaru!"

"Alright everyone, back up. Back off, compose yourselves. Act like adults instead of children."

Shikamaru managed to clear himself a way through the shuffling people, who had started to compose themselves. Many were pushed back down the hall, away from the missing ninja's room by nurses. Once Shikamaru and Sakura were in the room, they closed the door. The shuffling instantly began on the other side of the door.

"Man you're such a pain in the ass." groaned Shikamaru as he rubbed his temples. He looked at Naruto and asked, "How are you feeling?"

He shrugged. "Fine I guess. I don't remember much after . . . " his eyes scowled. "Kenji died and that woman took off with Momo." He looked at Sakura and asked, "You couldn't help him, could you?"

She had a practiced look on her face as she said, "We didn't find his body."

"Huh?" Naruto questioned, looking genuinely confused. "How didn't you find his body? It was in the carriage."

"The carriage was empty. Either someone took his body, or he was a good actor." Shikamaru replied.

Naruto nodded, and silently sat down on his bed. He wanted to defend Kenji, the man that he called father, only he wasn't sure if he really knew this father anymore.

_Shidomoto . . . _the priestess' voice recapped.

"Hey, um, Naruto?" Sakura softly said, causing him to turn to her. "What do you remember? About anything?"

"I-I don't really remember anything about this life." he honestly replied. Sakura looked crest fallen. "There are bits and pieces that come to mind, but other than that I don't really remember anything major. I know I grew up alone, but I had friends. I recognize you Haruno Sakura, but I think that is because I have a deeper connection with you. I see you in my memories, but I can't make everything out too well."

She sat on the bed next to him, placed a hand on his, and said, "That's okay Naruto. We will help you. Everyone will."

He smiled at her, and just stared into her glistening, tired eyes. His stomach flared nervously as his blood suddenly felt warm and fuzzy. Just feeling Saukura's hand on his caused thousands of fuzzy jolts to rush up his arm. God, she was so beautiful. He fought back the urge to embrace her, only he found that he had no control of his body. Sakura was completely off guard and gasped when she was pulled against him.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan." he said into her hair with a cracking voice, his warm breath tickled her neck.

He was so warm. He was physical. This wasn't a haunting dream. He wasn't calling out to her from the darkness anymore, calling for her to help him; to find him. Naruto was right here. She had found him. After all these years, she found him. His strong arms encircled her, held her, comforted her… Sakura began to sob. Her arms tightening as she finally could allow herself to believe. To accept that this wasn't a dream. That when she woke up in the morning, he would still be here.

"Naruto," she exhaled her face hidden on his chest as she jerked in heart-wrenching sobs.

Sakura dared to not let him go. He, in all honesty, didn't want to let her go. He wanted to comfort her, to hold her as he did and to wipe her tears away. Naruto pulled the quivering _kunoichi_ closer, he let her cry as he whispered solaced things to her. Telling her that everything would be all right.

When she fell asleep in his arms, Naruto noticed that Shikamaru had left the room. He scooted back on the bed and let the woman rest on him as he covered them with the blanket. He wondered when Sakura slept last, for the dark rings under her eyes really stood out when wet with tears. She would shutter time to time, a sniffle to then become peaceful and still, taking the complete pose of a resting angel.

Naruto brushed her hair from her face and wondered, _What am I to you, Sakura? Why do I feel as if I . . . _His eyelids began to drift close. _As if I love you?_

* * *

"We shouldn't be doing this! If we're caught–"

"If you be quiet, then we won't be caught."

Something flashed, Naruto knew something did. Even though his eyes were closed, he could tell that something defiantly flashed and then gave a quick, pop sound. Was someone taking pictures?

"Oh wow. It's going to be perfect!" a girl whispered excitedly.

"Oh crap, they're waking up!"

Two pairs of feet shuffled from the room. The door snapped shut just as Naruto opened his eyes to see what was going on. There was something on him that kept him from moving. He looked down at his chest and found that what rested there was soft, delicate pink hair. Cuddled next to him, her fingers tightly entwined with his own was possibly the most gorgeous creature in the world.

"Sakura," he whispered as he ran his fingers through her long tendrils as she shifted lightly.

A frown crossed her face as she mumbled, "Naruto . . . Come back . . . "

Tears leaked from her eyes as she seemed lost in a nightmare. Squeezing her hand, he said, "I'm right here, Sakura-chan. I'm here."

That seemed to relax the nubile woman as she smiled lightly. Her eyes fluttered open to face bright daylight that cascaded through the open window. She wanted to go back to sleep. She was having a bad dream that was starting to turn out so good! She had never felt so relaxed before; so content and safe. She snuggled into her pillow wrapped her arms around it and sighed contently. She cracked an eye open when she noticed her pillow started to chuckle.

"Naruto?" she asked as she rose and looked into his face as he gazed at her smiling.

"I am today," he replied as she reluctantly sat up.

Backhanding his shoulder lightly, she pouted, "That really isn't funny."

Tucking some of her more rebellious strands of hair behind her ear, Naruto said, "You've let your hair grow out, and cut it different. I like it."

Coyly smiling she said, "Thank you. What else do you remember about me?"

Naruto looked at her and said, "That you are smart, gorgeous and you hit me a lot."

"I did not." retorted Sakura as she scowled at him playfully.

He looked at her rather blankly as he said, "Woman, every time I did something to make you mad, you decked me . . . like you're planning on doing now."

The look on her face, how her muscles were tense, Naruto couldn't help but laugh. Sakura shook her head and too giggled.

"You're still the same," said Sakura which caused Naruto to look at her. "Joking around, being a complete goofball and always smiling . . . "

"You've become a woman," said Naruto as Sakura's eyes widened. "You've grown up to be extremely beautiful, Sakura-chan. I bet you're a powerful _kunoichi_."

She shook her head and blushed as she mumbled, "I wouldn't go as far as saying I'm powerful, just well informed and toned. You surpassed me when it came to power, Naruto. You surpassed everyone. Even Kakashi _sensei_."

He paused his eyes in deep thought. "We . . . we were on a team together, right? So I . . . I really am a ninja. That's why I could move like that. It is because I was trained to do it. " He rubbed his temples and grumbled. "I wish I could remember everything clearly instead of everything being so damned jumbled and broken."

"It'll come in time, Naruto. Just give it time," said Sakura as she rested her hand on his.

_Everything eventually reveals in time. Everything heals in time. Time is the key to all. _Shahoumaru's voice recited in her mind.

Her milky green eyes were sincere. They were sitting so close. Their fingers once again entwined as she gazed at him, her milky jade eyes inviting and enticing. It would take nothing to capture her lips with his own because they hovered mere inches apart. _Kami_, he could feel her body heat and sense her on a level that was metaphysical.

"Sakura," muttered Naruto with his voice husky and uncontrolled. "How close of friends are we?"

She turned away from him and stood. "I have rounds to do."

Wow, what a shot through the heart! Pouting, Naruto stubbornly crossed his arms. He should have just kissed her when he had the chance and let her punch the shit out of him after! _Damn . . . _

"I'll be back later to bring you some clothes. The Hokage wants to see you once we clear you." stated Sakura as she headed for the door.

"Can you take me to see Hazuki and Momo. I need to talk to them," said Naruto as she paused at the door.

Glancing back at him, Sakura nodded and said, "_Hai_, I can take you. Let's go."

* * *

**Japanese**

Watashi wa Uzumaki Naruto desu yo! : I am Uzumaki Naruto!

For the life of me I can't remember if I spelt Dattlebyo right. I don't think I did. I'll have to check it…

**Oh no… it's a Lesson in Japanese lesson! **

**Wa,** **desu** and **yo** are all partials. Lesson: **A** wa **B** desu, is how the Japanese identify things or persons by using this pattern. The partial _wa_ marks the thing or person (A) which is identified by means of (B); _desu_ (is) then completes the sentence.

Example: _Kore wa kasa desu. _(direct translation: This umbrella is) This is an umbrella.

To make a negative of, is as isn't or is not, you replace _desu _with _de wa arimasen_. Alternative forms are _ja arimasen_, _de wa nai desu _and _ja nai desu. _

Example: _Kore wa kasa de wa arimasen. _This isn't an umbrella.

_Watashi wa Igirisujin de wa arimasen. Amerikajin desu. _I'm not British. I am American.

Now with the partial _yo_ at the end of a sentence, it is used to alert the listener to the situation indicated by the sentence to which _yo_ is attached, very much like an exclamation mark in English.

Examples: _Watashi desu yo. _It's me!

_Kore wa jamu desu yo. (_direct translation: This jam is) This is jam!

The partial _ne_ can be used to solicit agreement from the listener rather like -isn't it- in English. _Nee_ or _ne_ with a macron over the e is a stronger form.

Examples: _Kore desu ne. _You mean (it's) this (one) don't you?

Partial _ka: _ A statement can be made into a question by attaching ka? To the end sentence.

Examples: _Sensei wa Amerikajin desu. _The teacher is (an) American?

_Sensei wa Amerikanjin desu ka? _Is the teacher (an) American?

This type of question is often called a 'yes/no' question, as it calls for an answer beginning with yes (_hai_) or no (_iie_)

_Hai, (sensei wa) Amerikajin desu._

_Iie (sensei wa) Amerikanjin de wa arimasen. _

Okay that is your Japanese lesson for the day 'cause I don't really know much else. Just thought I'd share the love of the Japanese way of speech.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**: I did not create nor own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because they were inspired and imagined from the help of the Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Ten:** **Sisters**

_**P**_eople looked at him oddly as he walked down the hallways of the hospital. Some dropped their things, as other's began to whisper excitedly. He felt so out of place.

"This is the civilian center. We treat civilians on the first two floors, while the last three are restricted to _shinobi_ unless there is an emergency." said Sakura as she gave him a brief tour. "We designed it this way after Konoha was rebuilt, so don't fret if you don't exactly remember things right. Konoha has changed a lot since the last time you were here."

Naruto noticed how the nurses were different down here too. Upstairs most of them wore their normal _shinobi_ attire, while down here they wore scrubs. They looked more, normal. He humphed.

"Hazuki must like the normalcy of this place. She hates ninja with a passion . . ." mumbled Naruto as his shoulders stooped. _She's going to hate me . . ._

They stopped before a door where behind, the two Ichikita girls sat. He suddenly felt nervous. What if they didn't accept him? What if Hazuki was afraid and Momo didn't want anything to do with him now?

Taking a deep breath, Naruto opened the door. Hazuki turned to him along with Momo. Both smiled, which instantly took a ton of pressure off Naruto's chest. Momo ran to him and rammed right into him. Her arms latched around his torso as the impact had the two fall back into the hall.

"AANNIII!" Momo cried as she hugged him tightly as tears poured out of her eyes.

"Hey, _imooto_. Stop that crying now. That makes big brother unhappy to see Momo-chan so upset." lifting her face to see her eyes he said, "See, _ani_ is all better now. Sakura-chan took excellent care of me. Everything will be alright now, _usagi_."

Clumsily she began to sign with her bandaged hands, "They had brother gone for days! They wouldn't let me see him for three whole days! They were saying weird things about brother! Calling him the wrong names! I kept telling them! Trying to tell them, his name is Yousuke. His name is Yousuke not Naruto but they wouldn't listen to me, _ani_!"

"It's okay, _imooto_." he sighed. He frowned as she stared up at him doe-eyed. "I have to talk to you and Hazuki about why they are calling me a different name. Here I'm not known as Ichikita Yousuke. I am known as Uzumaki Naruto. Momo-chan. That is my real name. Brother's real name is Naruto."

A terrified look overcame her as she signed, "You can't be my brother anymore, can you?"

Confused he asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Tears ran down her face as she signed, "_Chichi_, always warned me that one-day _ani_ would grow up and remember he isn't really Momo's brother and would want to go home-" she sucked in a huge breath of air as she covered her mouth, grew ridged and very still. The girl stared at him and slowly signed, "That was secret. Momo wasn't supposed to say anything! _Chichi_ made me promise!"

"Momo," said Naruto as he forced the girl to look at him with her glassy peach pit brown eyes. "Nothing in this world is going to force me to stop being your brother. Even if I'm not Yousuke anymore, Naruto can still be your _ani_, that is if you still want me to be your brother."

A pinky finger moved before his face as Momo stared at him hard. "Pinky Swear."

Clasping her pinky with his own, Naruto said, "I pinky swear."

She smiled and wiped her tears away. She signed, "Brother is still brother. _Ani_ is safe and better now." she embraced him and released her fears. "Everything is right with the world."

His rough hand ruffled her hair and destroyed the bun that Hazuki always pulled the peachy hair into. He couldn't see himself not doing this to Momo. He couldn't see himself without Momo in his life. They had a special bond, a bond that only a brother and sister shared.

"I love you, _ani_." signed Momo signed to then rubbed her nose with his. With their noses touching, Naruto said, "I love you, _imooto_."

There was a pitiful wail in the hallway. Naruto and Momo both looked to two green-clad men who stood out amongst the audience of people. Both were seemingly balling their eyes out while Sakura looked quite impassive.

"Such, youthful emotion between siblings!" the older of the two cried with his face against the wall he pounded on.

"It-It is so beautiful, Gai _sensei_!" the younger exclaimed with his fist clenched and tears steadily streaming from his eyes.

"Lee!"

"Gai _sensei_!"

"Lee!"

Gai _sensei_!"

In a burst of cries, the two grown men, who were incredibly emotional, hugged. Momo's eyes were wide, the left corner of her lip twitching rather nervously.

"For some reason, I'm not even surprised or affected by this," said Naruto as he scratched his chin, thinking on how he needed to shave. He stood, scooped Momo's rather petite form into his arms as he said, "Let's go in the room. I have to talk to Hazuki."

With that, they vanished into the room and closed the door behind them. Wow. This room had colors! The ceiling was still white but the walls were a soft meadow green. There were pictures on the walls, a chair in the corner and more casual and comfortable effects in civilian rooms.

"So, I guess you are right at home here," mumbled Hazuki as she kept her gaze out the window.

Letting Momo down Naruto asked, "Are you angry with me, Hazuki?"

She sighed, shook her head, and stooped. "No. Not with you. You were a pawn just as I was in this. The only one who was untouched was Momo, and in the end, it seems that even she knew the truth. I am angry with Kenji though. He is the one who forced all of us to go through this." Looking at Naruto she asked, "Do you remember what that woman said? About how Kenji liked to experiment on children?"

Nodding Naruto said, "Yeah."

The priestesses voice recalled, _You always had a soft spot for the little forgotten ones, didn't you, doctor? They were easier to experiment on, especially without family to reject your theories or methods when it came to their oh so fragile minds. _

"I also noticed that she called him a different name." Naruto pointed out. "Shidomoto."

"Like how you suddenly have another name," retorted Hazuki, which caused Naruto to inwardly cringe.

"Yeah . . ."

Hazuki only shook her head dejectedly. "How could he do this to us? How can someone just mess with someone's mind-with their very lives as he did! How are we supposed to move on past this when we don't even know where to move on to?"

"Hey, don't sound so down, Hazuki." Naruto said, trying to cheer her up. "I'll help you, and I'm sure Momo will help too . . ."

"There is no need to even try." She twisted her hands in her lap and mumbled, "You have somewhere to return to! This place, these people! They know you and they can help you, but me, I don't have anything. My family, all of them are dead for all I know! For all these years they have been dead. _Haha_, my baby sister my _ani_… They have all been dead all this time! I've been living in a fantasy . . . A world where my brother and sister were merely figments. Fakes of the real things."

"Is that how you really feel, _imooto_?" asked Naruto as she turned to him. "That Momo and I are merely fakes? That the past years are nothing? That we didn't grow up together, that we didn't fight, play or even cry together? That when you were scared or excited that we weren't there for you when you were sad and hurt that we didn't comfort you? That we have no bonds what so ever, Hazuki?" His glassy eyes leaked tears, unable to hold them back any longer. "It doesn't hurt you right now like it is hurting me just to think that you don't want me as a brother anymore?"

"You don't understand!" shouted Hazuki.

"I understand more than you could understand, Hazuki!" shouted Naruto as he clenched his fist. "Before I had friends before I even shared bonds with people around me, I had no one! I grew up in this village alone! I had no mother or father, no brothers or sisters to go home to! I was alone…I had no one. I don't want to be like that again because it hurts so much. Don't take that road, Hazuki. Don't become lonely and alone. Not when Momo and I are here, and we're still keeping a tight hold on the bonds we do share. It might not be the same as before, but we can still be something of a family."

His face was scrunched as he fought back the emotions that were flooding from him. Just seeing him in such a pathetic state caused her to furiously rub her eyes to keep them from expelling the tears that threatened to fall with no such luck at all. His emotions always branched out and touched those close to him. Such empathy from someone was enough to make even the most impassive of people cry.

"Okay," mumbled Hazuki submissively as she looked to her hands once more. "But you'll have to be patient with me, _ani_."

"I understand," he mumbled as he rubbed his watering eyes.

Looking to him as he continued to compose himself, Hazuki asked, "So, brother. What is your real name?"

"Naruto," he mumbled. "Uzumaki Naruto."

She smiled sadly. "I'm glad that you remembered. That is good. I'm happy for you, really I am-"

"I was a _shinobi_, Hazuki." he deadpanned.

She took a deep breath. "I know. I think deep down I knew after you began to act like them and then started defending them."

"Are you scared of me, _imooto_?" asked Naruto in a low cracking tone.

Looking at him she smiled playfully and said, "Who would be scared of a moron like you?" she wiped her own eyes and said, "You can't be that great of a ninja if you are a walking disaster and accident-prone. Someone should warn your superiors to keep a tennis racket out of your hands, otherwise, this village is going to crumble to the ground."

"I'm not that bad at tennis!" he pouted with that childish look on his face. "And I'm not a walking disaster thank you! I have a little more coordination now."

Hazuki giggled, only to become somber. "Hey, um… Naruto… Just give me time to adjust okay. I say I'm not scared-"

He nodded. "I know, sis. And I will give you space and all the time you need."

Her smile and relaxing of her tense shoulders easily enough told Naruto, 'thanks'. He could read them so well. Both Momo and Hazuki.

"So, what do we do from here?" asked Hazuki as she looked at him curiously. "You and I can't go to the Compound now. Not with us officially having no noble blood at all. Hell, they probably knew the whole time that we weren't truly Kenji's children and who Momo was." her eyes scowled as she said, "We can't let them just take Momo."

Upon hearing her name she turned to them and smiled.

"We still have to protect her," said Naruto. "Sakura-chan told me that the Hokage wanted to see me once they cleared me. Maybe they will give us an option of what to do, of what we can do."

"I hope so," Hazuki mumbled.

* * *

Two days had passed and the doctors had yet to release Naruto. Letting out a yawn, Naruto laid back in his bed. He was confined to his white room once again, while Momo and Hazuki had to stay in the civilian quarters in the elegant room two floors down. He didn't have to worry about them. Sakura said she'd take care of them, and he spent most of his time with them anyway.

The nurses and hospital personnel became quite acquainted with his presence. Especially the female personnel, but he had eyes for only one person. Every time he saw that pink hair, those sparkling jade eyes… He was lost.

A knock on the door caused him to glance at it. He sat up when a platinum blonde walked into the room. Her ivory skin glowed while her turquoise eyes were kind and tired looking. The woman was tall, yet skinny and very heavy with a baby. She was beautiful, especially with the glow she radiated. He hadn't met her before.

"When are you due?" asked Naruto which caused her to blush and smile.

"In April. I don't have too much time to go, huh?" she said, a genuinely happy smile on her face. "You probably don't remember me-"

"Ino." said Naruto with a slick smile.

"So you do remember me!"

"Not really. I just remembered your voice from a few nights ago. Sakura said it a few times when you both were blabbing on about my mental instability." replied Naruto; the woman's shoulders stooped dejectedly. He scrunched his face in thought as he asked, "Unless you're the same Ino who teamed with Shikamaru all the time."

"Yep, that was me," she said as a smile reclaimed her face. Ino began to fiddle with one of the machines next to the bed as she said, "I don't really go out on missions much anymore though. I settled down."

"Wow," said Naruto as he watched her. "You are nothing like the girl in my memories. You've . . . grown."

She frowned slightly as she said, "Everyone has grown, Naruto. Even you have. You're not the same person that we remember either. Don't worry though. Everyone is more than willing to help you recover your memories. It's good to see that you're able to distinguish that we have aged though. That is a good sign."

"You're Sakura's best friend right?" he asked.

"Yes." said Ino as she looked at him with a brow rose.

Naruto asked, "What is she to me?"

Ino smiled wickedly, her soon-to-be-mother glow seemed to brighten. "You both will have to figure that out on your own."

"Oh come on, Ino!" whined Naruto with a playful pout on his face. "That's not fair."

"That might not be, but I'll give you some good news," said Ino with her attention now focused on a chart. "I'm going to release you. There is really no need for us to keep you locked up in here any longer and keeping Hokage-sama in suspense. He may not act it, but I think he is really excited about seeing you."

"Really? I wonder why?" muttered Naruto to himself.

A bag dropped onto the foot of his bed. Ino nodded to it as she said, "That is your clothes along with a shower kit. Get yourself cleaned up and I'll have someone pick you up in about an hour to meet the Hokage."

"Okay." mumbled Naruto. He pulled the bag closer to him. Ino began out the door, as he called to her, "Hey, Ino!" she turned. "Thanks."

She merely smiled and closed the door behind her.

* * *

He followed a random _shinobi_ out of the hospital and down the main streets of Konoha. He walked with his hands shoved in his pockets, his eyes taking in everything around him as they walked. Wearing a plain white A-shirt with a blue unbuttoned dress shirt, khakis pants, and the standard _shinobi_ style sandals, Naruto wondered if Sakura picked out the clothes. The shirt matched his eye color and the sizes were perfect.

They came to a tall rotunda building; it had to be the tallest in the village. A great tower stood center of the village where a large tree grew next to it, along with smaller, more recently planted ones.

Naruto said nothing as the ninja lead him up the first flight of stairs and entered a foyer. There were _shinobi _everywhere. Coming and going, most of them paused or stopped what they were doing to look at him. It made Naruto nervous. The ninja continued then turned through a passageway and began up a spiraling hallway that leads to the main tower. After a few minutes, they reached the top, or at least what Naruto figured was the top.

There were two masked guards before a set of closed bright red oaken doors. The _shinobi_ rapped on the door and said, "Uzumaki Naruto is here sir."

Naruto's stomach twisted and turned nervously as he could hear shuffles behind the door. It sounded like there was more than just the Hokage in there.

"Enter." came a muffled, lazy reply.

"Go for it." the younger _shinobi_ said with a nudge to the doors.

Naruto watched the ninja walk away, and then looked back to the doors. Turning the knob, Naruto closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. There was no need to be so nervous. There was no need to feel so freaked out.

"I said, enter."

_Just get it over with, _he scolded himself as he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. A bright light blinded him shortly, being that the hallway was rather dark. Once his eyes adjusted, he found the Hokage's domain to be open with wide and long windows that allowed the midday and morning sun to enter the area. His memory provided an image of a blond woman, her back to him as she stood beyond the windows on a balcony and looked out over the village. As she began to turn to him, the image faded.

Cautiously stepping in, Naruto looked to his right were three people stood. One he instantly knew to be Sakura. Hell, he could take her out in any crowd. She stood next to a tall man with black hair. His dark eyes focused on the floor, his hands behind his back while he stood in a standard military form. Next to him was another of the masked guards.

"My, my, how you have grown. Really shot up there in height, didn't you, Naruto?"

He turned to the Hokage who sat leaning back in his chair. His silver hair was defying gravity by almost standing straight up. His right eye was covered with his Konoha forehead protector, while a mask covered the bottom portion of his face.

_I wonder what is behind Kakashi _sensei's _mask. What if its beaver teeth… Or fish lips… _Naruto smiled at the memory. He began to laugh as he remembered how he and Sakura tried their best to trick their _sensei_ to remove his mask.

"What is so funny?" the Sixth Hokage questioned as he leaned up in his seat.

Naruto smiled, rubbed the back of his head, and said, "I remember you."

"And that is funny, how?" asked Kakashi with his left eye keeping its lazy glare.

"How is it not funny?" said Naruto with a large smile on his face.

Oh yeah, chuckles and light giggles filled the room. It was then that Naruto noticed that there were more people on the left side of the room. There was at least a dozen people in there!

"Whoa…" he mumbled with his brows rose. He looked back to Kakashi as he asked, "What is with all the people in here? Are they all ninja?"

Whispers and murmurs flared, as Kakashi said, "They all wanted to see you, Naruto. To get reacquainted with their long lost friend."

Naruto wasn't quite sure what to say. He wasn't really in the mood for getting reacquainted with people he couldn't even really remember that well. Hell, his memories on the silver-haired man before him were still quite vague.

Naruto straightened himself, letting his play fall and allowing his more serious and political sideshow as he said, "That is fine, but right now isn't the time for reminiscing. I have things to take care of that are now a concern for this village, my sisters, and myself."


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer**: I did not create nor own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto does, did. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because they were inspired and imagined from the help of the Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven:** **Brother**

_**K**_akashi's visible eyebrow rose. "Hmm . . . go ahead then."

"I need to know if you're willing to risk the tranquility of this village for the sake of Momo." said Naruto. This caused Sakura to look at him oddly. "I won't let my _imooto_ go back to Sawa. Not without me."

The room was silent enough that if a pin were to drop, it would most likely be heard.

"Why would she risk the tranquility of the village, Naruto?" questioned Kakashi.

"Because Momo is the gem; she is the heiress of _Sawa no Riku_." stated Naruto as he stared into Kakashi's single eye. "There will be conflict. Not just with the High Council of Swamp but also with Kikiyo. She's the exiled priestess, Sawa Daimyo's elder sister. I'm not worried about the Council too much, because I can talk to them and explain to them that Momo is safer with me, but Kikiyo is a different story. She is demented and powerful in both holy and demon arts. She will attack your village Hokage-sama in order to get to my sister."

Kakashi asked, "Do you think that we are incapable of holding our own against a priestess and her magic?"

"I have no doubts in your forces, Hokage-sama. I just want to know if we're granted protection, or if I'm going to have to go someplace else," said Naruto po-faced.

"Naruto this is your home, why would you go someplace else!" insisted Sakura as she stepped toward him utterly confused.

"My sisters' safety is more of a concern to me, than my own stability," replied Naruto as he looked at her. "They come first."

The dark-haired man next to Sakura calmly asked, "You're willing to throw your entire life away just for two girls that aren't even your own blood?"

Something unsettled Naruto about this man. His dark raven hair framed his face; coal-black irises hid the pupils of his eyes and hinted that there was much more to him than his rather impassive exterior went on. His _hitai-ite_ differed from most of those around him as well. A faded scratch went through the insignia on the metal band. As Naruto looked at it, his stomach turned uncomfortably. There was no malice in the raven-haired man's voice. Only curiosity and that he already seemed to know the answer Naruto would give. Naruto wondered who he was because there was nothing of him in his memories.

"I know they're not my blood. I understand that. However, I can't just forget the memories I share with them. Though blood doesn't bond us, something else does, and I can't turn my back on that. I don't know what I would do if something bad happened to either Momo or Hazuki. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.

"As their _onisan_, it is my job to protect them. I'm the only one they have left to look up to and take care of them. I've always been there for them when they needed me, and being Naruto isn't going to stop me now." His dark blue eyes returned to Kakashi as he said, "I have to know whether or not you are willing to shelter a targeted child in your village. I need to know now if you will risk the safety of the village to allow that child to stay here. This isn't Konoha's problem and I understand if you wish to stay out of Sawa's conflicts. If so, then I will take Hazuki and Momo and leave-"

"That isn't necessary, Naruto." said Kakashi he sat up in his chair and held up his hand to signal the young man to stop. "We already have scouts searching for the whereabouts of the _miko_, and we have informed Sawa of your presence here and the situation on hand. They all agree that you are all safer here. Accommodations have already been made for your stay here in Konoha for thirty days. After that, you will have to make due on your own."

Naruto nodded and looked to the floor in thought. "I still must contact the Council, or at least the Four Houses. I have to find out who Shidomoto is, and whether or not he is alive."

"Can I ask why?" asked Kakashi.

"I believe that he is the one responsible for my identity crisis, Hokage-sama, along with Hazuki's altered memories. Momo isn't affected, but she knew that Hazuki and I were not of her blood. _Chi_-" he paused and corrected himself. "_Kenji _I think has been coaching her, warning her that one day we would remember or that one day she would have to leave us to accept her fate."

Kakashi seemed to think this over as he asked, "And her destiny-"

"Is whatever she makes of it." replied Naruto with a shrug of his shoulders. "Momo can decide on her own of what she wishes to do in life. She can reclaim her throne or she can become anything else she wishes and puts her mind to be. I'm not going to push her into something she has no knowledge of and if she goes to the Compound, you might as well say that her childhood is over."

The sunny blond-haired man grew a thoughtful look as he ranted, "Right now she is doing what any normal child would be doing. She is sitting in that room, looking out the window and watching the clouds drift by in the sky. She's probably thinking about some _baka_ redhead _genin_, listening to birds sing while not even having one worry of whether or not her people have food, that if there are enough clinics and beds in the hospitals to care for sick patients. She doesn't have to worry about sicknesses or the threats of war or civil uprisings… She is only twelve. No child should have to rise up to the demands of a country and carry the burden of protecting, sheltering and feeding that nation. Something so crucial shouldn't be forced on the shoulders of someone so young."

Naruto looked to Kakashi and said, "As the leader of this village, I think you would understand that burden, but you only worry for your people here in this village and the _shinobi_ populous. Land of Fire's daimyo counts not just for the civilian and ninja in this village, but also for the rest of _Hi no Kuni'_s population and towns. Momo wouldn't be able to handle something like that. Not right now anyway. She's still in junior high and has no experience in these worries and responsibility. She has a long ways to go before she can even shoulder the burden of a single household, let alone an entire nation."

"You've been thinking about this a lot, haven't you?" inquired Kakashi.

Naruto paused and stared at the man before him. Thinking? Worried? Terrified of the outcome! Ever since he had woke up his mind has been in turmoil, his nerves on end and his own fears shooting negative thoughts into his conscious. Thinking was not the word.

"Trying to make sense of all this would be a more appropriate term, Hokage-sama!" stated Naruto. His voice rose as he said, "I've been confined to a hospital for the past five days! Three of those days, I have been unconscious! While I was lying unconscious in a hospital bed, my brain was literally picked and probed at! Oh yeah, I also had an identity crisis during that time, in which I'm still not really sure of who the fuck I am! _and_ I had a very disturbing moment which evolved a giant gate, a really pissed off fox and me practically pissing my metaphysical self! Let's not forget that I had a shadowed incorporeal representation of myself to punch the shit out of me; which really hurt by the way, to wake up and find out that everything I knew for the past ten years has been nothing more than a lie! That I'm not Ichikita Yousuke! I'm actually someone named Uzumaki Naruto, a _shinobi_ of the Hidden Leaf, and as it turns out, Naruto is a very confused and overly stressed-out person right now! I think I qualify to expel some of my own worries and thoughts that I have been thinking over the past two days I've been awake! Don't you, Hokage-sama?"

Again, the room was too quiet for Naruto. He breathed heavily, his eyes narrowed while he didn't even realize he had been clenching his fist so tightly.

"Is there anything else?" asked the Hokage after a long pause; his visible eye was completely impassive.

Naruto took a deep breath, only to let it whoosh out from him.

"_Iie_, Hokage-sama. It was quite presumptuous of me to speak so irrationally before you." He bowed, mumbling, "I'm sorry for my insolence. It will not happen again."

"This confirms it for me. He's not Naruto." blurted Kiba as he crossed his arms tighter to his chest.

Kakashi chuckled. "I see that being around nobles for a little while has pounded some manners into you."

"Not really," said Naruto said as he rose and scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "I just don't want to piss you off because I don't exactly remember you too well. I remember only a few brief things, like that you were my _sensei_, I think…" he looked to the floor with his eyes scowled in thought. "Hmm. Or something in that general nature. I'm not quite sure…" he suddenly changed the subject and looked back at Kakashi. "I'd get Kenji in trouble all the time though when we lived in the Compound the first few years… Heh, heh. That was a riot. I don't think the central panel will be the same ever again."

"Why's that?" questioned Kakashi as his hands found a stack of papers and began to tap them into on the desk into order.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm under oath to never speak of '_it_'."

"It?"

"_It_."

"It as in…"

"_**It**_."

Kakashi stared hard at the man as he asked, "Are you messing with me?"

Shaking his head, his eyes wide and hands waving defensively, Naruto said, "_Iie_, Hokage-sama! I'm under a blood oath to never utter a word about '_it_'."

Kakashi sighed and dropped the subject completely; along with the stack of papers he had unconsciously begun restacking. _You're still a real pain in the ass . . ._ "Fine. Let's get to more pressing matters then. Officially, for the past ten years, you have been dead, Uzumaki Naruto. We can get into that story later. As of now, we are still currently bringing you back to life, administratively. It shouldn't take more than a few days, and by then I should have copies of your records for you. Since you are legally a citizen and _genin_ of Konoha, you don't need a pass to wander the village. Until the girl's citizenship clears, they will have to have a pass on them at all times even if they are only civilians. They will not be going under the surname of Ichikita, but will have your last name to help conceal their identities for a while."

"Really…" uttered Naruto flabbergasted. He shook out of his stupor and said, "I-I mean, _hai_, Hokage-sama."

"I also want to talk to you about whether or not you are going to re-enlist as a _shinobi_, Naruto." said Kakashi while he walked around the desk and stood before the boy - now a man who now stood even-eyed with him. Kakashi placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders as he said, "Take your time on deciding on that one. I hear farming is a lot nicer, more calming than playing the role of an assassin." with that, Kakashi smiled behind his mask and let the blond go. He went to the large windows that overlooked the village as he said, "If you ever need to talk, my door is open."

Naruto smiled and mumbled,"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

He thought back to the memory of the woman he first envisioned who stood on the balcony. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed that this woman was supposed to be here instead of Kakashi. That this woman with a violet diamond centered of her forehead, soft honey eyes and straw-blonde hair in pigtails was supposed to be the Hokage, not Kakashi. Naruto decided not to question it for now. Instead, he waited for the dark-haired man who supposedly was the Hokage's assistant to gather the documents together that Naruto needed so he could leave and then go get his sisters. Upon crossing his arms, someone to the left of him cleared his throat. Naruto turned to the mass of people, all who looked at him a little cautiously, apprehensively, curiously and most of all excitedly.

He waved and uttered, "Uh…Hi."

The 'wild-man', as Naruto, dubbed him pushed out from the crowd and plainly asked, "Well? Do you recognize any of us?"

Carefully, Naruto looked over the lot of them. That green-clad emo who was in the hallway at the hospital days ago stood there. There was something about him but… Naruto wasn't sure. Then there was a girl with the ox horns, the large man with auburn brown hair and swirls on his cheeks, and then there was… The first he instantly recognized; a tall man whose face practically was concealed by the hood of his gray jacket. His pale face was shadowed, dark shades concealed his eyes. This person had always been like this. Quiet, observant and within the shadows was Aburame Shino's way.

Pointing at him, Naruto said, "Shino? Aburame Shino, the bug user."

Shino's head instantly shot toward Naruto as he said, "You recognize me?"

"Yeah, I do." said Naruto as he rubbed the back of his head. "I…I remember everything about you I think. You control bugs and all of your jutsus revolve around your clan's teachings with the special bugs you bond yourselves with." Naruto rose his hand as he went to the shocking _shinobi_, and said, "It's good to see you again, old friend. How are your teammates?" He lowered his voice and mumbled into Shino's ear, "Who are they again?"

Shino took his hand and shook it firmly as he said, "How about you ask them yourselves?"

Upon releasing his hand, Naruto looked to the direction that Shino looked. The wild man, who started this whole thing stood there with his hands in the pockets of his black pants, as for today he wore a black tank with a matching jet-black vest with grey armor. Strapped to his back sat a sheathed sword; a porcelain mask tamed his shaggy brown hair, at least until the mask was lowered to his face.

Naruto twitched his lips and mumbled, "It's faded, but I'm not exactly sure who you are."

"Inuzuka Kiba! Ya, know. The second loudest mouth behind your loud ass!" smirked Kiba as he crossed his arms. "How could you forget a handsome face like this?"

Naruto frowned. "How can one not try?"

"Hey!" growled Kiba in a pout. He laughed it off and pulled a dark-haired woman to him. "You have to remember her, right!"

She turned to Naruto; her cheeks lightly blushed and her white eyes soft and fragile looking. Her indigo hair reached far down to her hips, her skin milky ivory. She wore deep indigo and lavender _kimono_, and in all honesty, she looked like a princess to Naruto. Her grace, elegance, radiance and captivating beauty made her on an extremely higher level than what Naruto felt he even existed on.

Her eyes jumped something in his mind, causing him to mumble, "Hyuuga… You're a Hyuuga. The ones with the eyes that can see everything…By-byu…"

"Byuukagan." she said her voice sweet and filled with humor. She extended her small hand, which Naruto happily took, and shook, as she said, "I am Hyuuga Hinata. I used to team with Shino-kun and Kiba-kun before I took over my Clan. It's a pleasure to see you again and see that after all these years you have been doing well and grown into a serious young man. You had everyone worried for a very long time… Which I should apologize to you now."

"What for?" asked Naruto as he released her hand.

"For giving up." stated Hinata as she stared at him in the eyes. She smiled, and said, "You being here is proof on how easily we all gave up on searching for you, except for at least one of us…" She glanced at Sakura who helped Kakashi search for the passes that the dark-haired man griped about being on the desk just a moment ago. She returned her gaze to Naruto once again, she said, "She never gave up hope, granting her faith was much stronger than mine. Stronger than everyone's." Cupping his cheek, Hinata said, "I'm happy you've come home, Naruto-kun. Try not to die again, okay?"

Dumbly, he nodded.

"I have a meeting with the council, otherwise I would sit and reminisce more, but I have obligations to fulfill. See you around, Naruto-kun." with a smile, she left the Hokage's office.

"You're a lot to thank for how she turned out," said Kiba as he rested his arm on Naruto's shoulder. He then pat Naruto on the shoulder, and said, "I gotta go too. See ya around, Naruto."

Naruto stepped back when the man suddenly vanished. There was no sound, no rustling wind or even spinning leaves. It was almost as if he were never there, to begin with. The hounding then began, as Naruto found himself backed into a corner when the rest of those in the room approached.

* * *

He had never felt so damn tired before. It took hours to get out of the Hokage's office, even when the passes were found for Hazuki and Momo. Everyone kept talking. They wondered if he remembered them, wanted to know if he remembered this or that… Naruto flipped out when someone else he wasn't too sure of their face or name, slapped him on the back and said, "Good to see you again, Naruto."

It was a good thing that the Hokage noticed that Naruto was about to snap, for, after the second hour, he forced everyone to leave and excused Naruto. Things only went downhill from there, especially when he went to go get Hazuki and Momo. Sakura wanted to show him around the village, only she was called into the hospital for some emergency that had to do with an accident at the academy. Naruto was forced to guide his sisters through Konoha via a map. Random visitors throttled Naruto full force.

Complete strangers (all _shinobi_) would just come up to him and shake his hand and congratulate him for being alive. Freakin' teenaged ninja girls would randomly embrace him, shriek like banshees, and dash off as if they were insane! Young ninja boys would call him out and talk about them following his footsteps and finding their own ninja path…. Hazuki and Momo began to tease him about his fame; fame that Naruto didn't remember. Encounters with the _shinobi_ populous began to dwindle as they strode more easterly through Konoha. It was a relief to find their new apartment building and after a brief meeting with the apartment supervisor, signing papers, receiving keys and even passcodes, they were able to get inside the apartment and relax.

Their trunks were stacked up against the wall, while the entire apartment was furnished. There were even fresh flowers in vases on various stands and windowsills. Someone had even gone shopping and placed a little bit of food in the house to get them through the night and morning. Upon wandering to the round kitchen table, Naruto picked up a note.

_Naruto and Sisters,_

_We hope that you find everything to your liking. _

_It may look a little pricy, but don't worry. _

_Your proprietor is a negotiable type of person._

_Some of us took it upon ourselves to help your three out by putting some food in the cabinets and fridge. _

_It isn't much, but it should start you three off. _

_There is also an envelope on the table. _

_It's important that you don't lose it, because it has twenty vouchers within it. _

_Five vouchers per week._

_You can use the vouchers at any store in Konoha to purchase what you guys will need to survive for the next month. _

_If you need anything at all or have any questions, just ask._

The letter ended with signatures from Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Ino, Tenten, Rock Lee, and Hyuuga Hinata. The envelope leaned against a vase of flowers. He let the note drop back to the table and went to look around the apartment.

"This place is so nice." mumbled Hazuki as she ran her hand on the back of the couch as she looked over the living area. "It's going to cost a fortune to rent this place, _ani_."

"It might not be too bad," he mumbled as he rubbed his temples. "I'll start looking for work tomorrow. I'm sure that there is some type of work that needs to be done somewhere nearby."

Momo looked at him, signing, "Can't you make money being an ultra-cool _shinobi_, Naruto-_ani_?"

He loved how she made a spiral in the air with her index finger for his name, and then lightly clapped her clenched fist on her chest for brother. Momo's makeshift sign language was unique and actually quite creative.

"I can't really be a _shinobi_, Momo-chan. I don't remember how to be one," he replied. He shrugged. "It has to be overrated though. It can't be that cool."

Dully, Momo signed, "You're delusional. I'd be one if I could, but I'm too old to go to the academy. Sakura-san said I could probably sign up for self-defense classes or join a dojo that specializes in some type of civilian forms of _taijutsu_, but other than that I'm too old to become a full-fledged ninja."

"You could always be a samurai." offered Naruto.

Momo pffted. "Samurai suck."

"Hey," said Naruto as he tried to cheer her up as he ruffled her hair. "Let's get settled in and I'll sign you up for karate or something."

Her slight shrug and curt nod told him, "Okay."

The apartment was in a good area: Konoha East: _Hokado _District. Civilians lived in the district. Schools were walking distance for Hazuki and Momo, markets were only two blocks away, there was a park right across the street, and the building they lived in was one of the newer high-rises in Konoha. They were almost on top of the village (the Hokage's tower clearly still being the tallest building in the whole village), being they occupied the top floor penthouse of the five-story building.

The floor plan was spacious. Large windows and a set of glass doors overlooked the western portion of the village, giving them a perfect sight of the entire village in their eastern location. A balcony branched out across the span of windows. The living room had a pit area centered of it for fires, while the kitchen branched off to the center of the layout.

"I get this room!" Hazuki shouted from somewhere beyond the depths of the apartment.

Momo too apparently claimed another room, leaving him with possibly the lesser of rooms that the girls deemed unworthy of their glory.

"Hey, Youss – I mean, Naruto!" called Hazuki. "Come look at this room! There is a study here! There are scrolls everywhere!"

With curious intent, he went deeper into the apartment. Naruto looked in the first room, which, Hazuki had dropped her hospital bag. The second door appeared to be Momo's room. The third door hid the full bathroom, while the fourth door was a completely empty room. Coming to the end of the hall, Naruto discovered another hallway that leads beyond the front and middle of the apartment. Turning, he found himself in a huge circular study.

Windows made up the walls, and the view was all the more expansive than the balcony. Both Momo and Hazuki were in this room and overlooked the tall shelves that within their depths contained scrolls, tombs, books and pamphlets of various subjects.

"_Ani_, this is addressed to you," said Hazuki as she knelt before a trunk that sat middle of the floor.

Momo too knelt by the truck and eyed it curiously, as Naruto took the scroll Hazuki held up to him. Sliding the fire red twine from the scroll, Naruto rolled it out and scrutinized it. The handwriting was different on this parchment. It wasn't girlish as Sakura's handwriting. The kanji was more organized and masculine. It wasn't quickly jotted down, no. This was thought-out. The writing in this letter would be personal and serious.

* * *

**Japanese Words**

Hokado: fire gate


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer**: I did not create nor own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because they were inspired and imagined from the help of the Narutoverse.

Thank you

* * *

**Chapter Twelve:** **Family**

**_L_**ooking at the truck that sat ominously upon the center of the vast wooden floor of the study, Naruto wondered who left it here. He certainly didn't recognize it of being of his sisters or his.

"Are you going to read the scroll?" asked Hazuki as she kept her eyes upon it.

Looking back at the scroll in his hand, Naruto let out a snort of air and pulled the roll out more. Naruto read the scroll aloud:

"_I wasn't sure how to do this. I'm not a man of very many words. I'm not really a man who likes to write his words . . . I'm going off-topic. Let's begin with you, Uzumaki Naruto. _

"_I don't know if you remember right now but, I'm assuming you eventually will. If not . . . Well, that is why I wasn't sure how to do this. Let me get to the point. The scrolls in this room are yours._" Naruto almost dropped the scroll he read. He quickly looked to the shelves lined with various scrolls and books. "You've got to be kidding me…" he mumbled flabbergasted. "All of these?" Naruto returned his eyes to the letter and continued to read, "_Some were from your personal archives, or at least what you had left that we were able to find. Over three-fourths of the scrolls belonged to your father, Namikaze Minato. I felt that Konoha library was no longer in need of _Yondaime's _effects, not when his true inheritor has returned home._"

This time the scroll did slip from his hand. His mind spun with what it deciphered. His father was a Hokage. Yondaime Hokage? That seemed significant… Important…

"Yondaime?" said Hazuki awed as she stared at Naruto. "Does that mean he was a leader at one time, being that he was the Forth, and Hatake-sama is the Rokudaime?"

"Yeah . . . I think so." retrieving the scroll, he went back to reading. "_There are merely a few scrolls and books left from your mother's impact on Konoha. You'll know which ones they are when you begin to go through the scrolls. Uzumaki Kushina's name is plain as day on them. There are also some books from some others, who donated or left them to you before you well, died or left. Whichever you prefer to call it. As for the trunk-_"

The siblings turned to it and stared at it intently.

"_It contains what possessions you left behind and that was found the day you became missing along with some other things I felt you should have. You had better appreciate it too. Some of the council members weren't too thrilled for me to remove that from storage, but they got over it. I guess that is really all left to tell. Good luck, Naruto. Hatake Kakashi Rokudaime Hokage._"

Hazuki looked up at him, asking, "Do you remember your father or mother?"

Shaking his head negatively, Naruto let the scroll roll closed, as he mumbled, "No. I remember being alone. I was an orphan."

"Brother is not alone anymore. Naruto-_ani_ has Momo and Hazuki now!" signed Momo signed as she looked up at him with a somber look on his face.

To clarify her point, Momo was quick to her feet to lunge at Naruto and tightly hug him. He could feel her lightly shivering, possibly trying to hold back her fit of tears as he was.

"Yes, Momo-chan is right. _Ani_ isn't alone. Not with his _imootos_ here with him." He said, which comforted both Momo and him.

In her younger days, Hazuki would have joined them in their constant emotional cuddles. She had outgrown that though… Still, the seventeen-year-old had to fight off the urge to join them in a hug.

Hazuki looked at the trunk and asked, "Are you going to open it, _ani_?"

Naruto and Momo both turned to the trunk. It imposed danger in the most frightening way any truck could. To Naruto, that trunk was most certainly _Pandora's Box_. Nothing good could come from it. Naruto could foresee it as he knelt down before the cedar chest. Memories were in there. Stored away within this seemingly harmless trunk of certain doom were memories and pain from a past he had forgotten.

It looked slightly old, jarring nothing in Naruto's memories that it even belonged to him. The name upon it was not in typical kanji but in roman letters. The engraving clearly read, _Kushina Uzumaki._

"It belonged to my _haha_," said Naruto as he ran his fingers along with the engraving, calloused fingers sensing every worn curve and lines of the name.

Slightly opening the trunk the lid, it creaked with age. The hinges protested in low whines as he pushed the lid up and let the light of the day enter the trunk. Pictures were the first thing to greet him; a shoebox full of printed memories… Another note rested upon the top that read, _We gathered what we could find. HS_

"Sakura," uttered Naruto as he looked the note over and then set it on the floor. He took hold of the first picture and pulled it out so his sisters could see it.

"Is that you?" gasped Hazuki as she pointed to the blond boy in the picture whose arms were crossed and an angry pout was on his face. "You were so short!"

A preteen Sakura stood next to him; she was much taller. There was also a dark-haired boy next to her, he has a death glare on his face directed at Naruto. The current Hokage stood behind them, his hands ruffling both the blond and raven-haired boy's hair.

"You all look so young!" stated Hazuki as she looked at Naruto.

"I guess." he mumbled as he stared at the dark-haired boy. "This was my team I think. I remember the Hokage a little and I remember a lot about Sakura-chan, but I don't remember this guy at all. I don't know who he is." He glanced at Hazuki and asked, "If he was my teammate, wouldn't I remember him as I do Sakura and Kakashi?"

Hazuki shrugged. "I don't know, Naruto."

He pulled the shoebox out and set it to the side. He could go through the pictures later. The next thing he took out was a scrap of cloth. Naruto gasped when the old fabric ripped and its contents fell out. Three-pronged _kunai_ clanked to the floor. Maybe the old fabric wasn't to blame but instead the sharp blades of the odd throwing knives. Pushing them to the side, Naruto dove back into the box.

There was a box of _shuriken_ and another of standard _kunai _that Naruto took out. Empty scrolls and bottles of ink, brushes, and pens for special paper used for what had to be sealing techniques or notes followed. There was a funny nightcap hidden beneath all of this. The cap looked rather worn but made Naruto smile when he pulled it out from the trunk. He had it for a long time…

Fingering the fabric of the walrus face, Naruto dusted it off and then crammed it onto Momo's head as he said, "You can have it. I think I've officially outgrown it." Momo only raised her brow as she tried to look up at the nightcap. "Take good care of it, Momo-chan. I had that thing for a very long time."

With that said, Momo grinned. Naruto continued to pull more out from the trunk, finding that it didn't really hold much, to begin with. There were a few mesh shirts, a couple of rolls of tape and supportive wraps. Once removed of the boxes and smaller lesser items, he came to a stop of bright orange fabric. Upon it was a large white insignia with a thick blue spiral embroidery.

"Uzumaki?" he said as he picked up the thick material, thinking that perhaps the symbol stood for his namesake, perhaps a clan branding.

Upon watching the fabric unravel, expelling hidden items within its folds, he discovered that what he held was a flag or banner. Grey silken fabric of a hitai-ite caught Naruto's attention. It bore a foreign insignia. The spiral looked almost identical to the spiral of the leaf, only it ran counter-clockwise instead of clockwise from the center and there was no stem or triangular shape to turn the spiral into a leaf. It was a simple spiral, the exact symbol upon the banner.

"Do you think that was your mothers'?" Hazuki asked, watching as Naruto studied the band.

"I don't know . . . " he mumbled as he set it down on the banner. He picked up a patch that instantly jogged his memories as he showed it to Momo and Hazuki. "I know what this is though. This is the Uzumaki Clan's symbol."

It appeared similar to the spiral of the flag and _hitai-ite_ only there was a big difference. For one thing, it spiraled from the center clockwise, the spiral itself was thicker, shorter, and an off-white that embossed from the patch.

"It's a spiral." Hazuki said, "I wonder if at one time the Uzumaki Clan was prestigious. Do you think you have any family if you have a clan symbol?"

"If I did wouldn't they have made claim to me when I was younger?" asked Naruto. He shook his head. "I think I'm the only survivor of the name… My mothers' name."

"Namikaze Naruto." mumbled Hazuki as she tapped her index finger on her chin in thought. She shrugged. "I honestly like Uzumaki a little better. It suits you more, _ani_."

"Well I'm glad you like it, being that you have that same name now," he said as he held the patch up to the sleeve of her shirt. "I guess that means I'm not the only Uzumaki in Konoha anymore."

Taking the patch, Hazuki pressed up against the back of Momo's shirt as she said, "A symbol this big will look better centered on the back of our clothes. Use a smaller one for the sleeves, _ani_."

Momo nodded, and signed, "I agree with Hazuki-_ane_. She's always been better at that kind of stuff than us, _ani_."

"I wasn't really thinking of even doing that," Naruto mumbled as he looked surprised at the two. "I was just thinking back to when I wore it on my field clothes. I wore it on my left arm . . . "

Hazuki once more had her finger to her chin as she said, "That's because you're male. Momo-chan and I will have to wear it on our right side, _ani_, if you don't care."

He felt his eyes tear, but he held it back as he said, "If that's what you want to do."

"Well, of course, _ani_!" replied Hazuki as she smiled brightly - something she hadn't done in a long while. "If Momo-chan and I are going to be Uzumaki then damn it we're going to do it right!"

His lip trembled as he turned away. A mantra began in his head of, _I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. I am not going to cry . . . _

"Awe, brother is going to cry." teased Hazuki as she watched his face scrunch up when she ruffled his thick hair.

"I am not." he whined as he crossed his arms and sniffled stubbornly.

Without any warning, he was glommed by two girls, both who wrapped their arms around him and hugged him for all his emo life was worth. He broke, unable to hold back his tears as he could feel the warmth from them. Naruto pulled them closer as he sobbed and knew then that they cared. They loved him. They really cared and wanted to still be a family.

This was it. This feeling that made him so happy . . . This is what it felt like to have a family, to have sisters. To feel so happy that you cried…

"Gees…" whined Hazuki as she wiped her own tears away while regaining her composure as she released him. "You're such an emo! What's worst is that your emo-ness spreads to those close to you!"

He stuck his tongue out at her, and then said, "You're just jealous that I have a superpower and you don't."

"I thought Hazuki had super-bitch powers?"

Luckily, Hazuki's back was turned when Momo signed. Naruto nodded, and mouthed, "Shh . . . Don't activate her powers."

Momo's mouth curved into an O as she nodded, her brown eyes wide in realization. As Hazuki turned back to them, Naruto began to wipe his wet eyes while Momo began to twiddle her thumbs, acting too innocently. She rolled her eyes, knowing not to even question what they might have been silently going on about.

Sniffling one last time, Naruto wiped his nose, yawned, and then turned back to the trunk. Momo had begun to dig though the trunk as Naruto watched her. She blinked when she noticed something that had slipped down between the wood of the trunk and a piece of thick white fabric. The petite girl pulled it out and instantly Naruto's eyes widened.

It was _his hitai-ite_. He gently grabbed it when Momo handed it to him. The metal band was nowhere near new. There were a few blemishes on the hard steel, but they had been buffed out or well cared for. The metal band was connected to a long strip of black cloth.

Grazing the insignia with his thumb, he closed his eyes and remembered. "I failed at the graduation test when I was twelve and didn't get a forehead protector like the rest of the kids. I failed the _bunshin_ test. I was such a loser and dead last . . . I was so upset about it because I tried so hard! I kept training and working and it was gone like that. My dream to be Hokage ended right there. That is all I ever wanted. I wanted to be a _shinobi_ so bad . . . That must be why _sensei_ tricked me as he did because he knew that I would do anything to graduate and become a ninja."

Momo and Hazuki listened intently.

"All I had to do was take the Scroll of Sealing from the Hokage's house and learn the jutsus that were within it. I did it. I snatched the scroll from _jiji_ and went into the forest where the teacher told me to practice and I began to train, only to find out hours later from Iruka _sensei_ that it was all a trick. _Sensei_ Mi-Mizuki I think his name was, wanted the scroll for himself and used me as a decoy.

"Mizuki told me about being the nine-tailed demon fox that attacked the village." unconsciously his hand rested on his stomach. "Mizuki tried to kill Iruka-_sensei_ and me, only I wasn't going to let that happen. Especially not after Iruka-_sensei_ saw me as a person and not the fox sealed within me. Using the only jutsu I learned from the scroll, I defeated Mizuki and then received this very _hitai-ite_ that belonged to Iruka _sensei_… He was the second person to acknowledge me besides _jiji_…The Third Hokage."

"What a way to start as a ninja…" Momo motioned with her eyes wide with a faraway look in them. "It's almost like a story! A twisted and odd fairytale!"

Hazuki stared at Naruto as if she had never seen him before. Abruptly her hands caressed his cheeks, her thumbs grazing the lines on his face as she smiled. She hadn't openly touched his cheeks since she was a child, and even back then she thought they held a vulpine quality to them.

"Fox whiskers," she mumbled, as he seemed to had fallen into a trance. She pulled her hands away and chortled, "Oi… I forgot what this does to you, brother. Kenji would always do it to calm you down… I'm going to have to tell Sakura-chan about your weakness. I'm sure she'll put it to good use. Are you going to ask her out?"

His cheeks flushed as stared at her like a deer caught in headlights. She only giggled and shook her head. Pouting, he decided to keep silent. He knew that his attraction to Sakura was, indeed, _that _obvious. Letting out a sigh, Naruto looked back to the band he held in his hand.

Naruto was tempted to put it on. The fabric that twisted in his fingers begged him for purpose again. To feel that rush that his memories provided would be bliss…To feel chakra running through him, to be able to leap off rooftops and bound through trees again, to go out on missions…

"You want to be a ninja, don't you, _ani_?" asked Hazuki softly. He looked at her with his eyes losing the spark they once held. "What is stopping you?"

"I can't remember how to–"

"Bullshit, Naruto." snapped Hazuki as she scowled at him with her royal blue eyes. "Even I can tell you desperately want to remember your past life. You want to be able to go back to doing what you love." She crossed her arms and looked away as she grumbled, "If you're holding yourself back because of me and Momo, then you're dumb and selfish _ani_."

"How do you figure that?" spat Naruto.

"Because you're giving up your dreams!" stated Hazuki, her tone a warning for him not to argue. "Yes, I'm scared of _shinobi_, but brother, if that is what you want to be, then be it. Stop holding back because of Momo and me! Ino-san has already helped me a lot with my own anxiety problems, so don't make it because of me that you're not going after your dream, Naruto! It isn't fair for you to always be the one we have to lean on or hide behind. It's time for Momo and myself to start spreading our wings and leading our own lives. Yes, _ani_, we are going to be hurt and become down in some points, but you don't always have to be there to protect us from every little thing. I mean… Come on, Naruto. Your dreams are just as important as our dreams too. Isn't it time that you started to live again for yourself instead of for others?"

He stared at her. She wasn't about to waver or give in.

"When did you get so motivational in monologing?" asked Naruto curiously.

Hazuki smacked him upside the head and grumbled, "You always have to ruin a great speech! Seriously though, _ani_. Think about it alright." With that, Hazuki stood. "I'm going to fiddle with my room and try to get settled in. I'll start dinner in a few hours."

"Okay," Naruto nodded and looked back at the _hitai-ite_.

"I can see you wearing it, _ani_." signed Momo signed. She took hold of the band and rested it against his forehead. Momo smiled and signed, "It looks natural to be there."

Pulling it away from his head, Naruto mumbled, "I don't know."

He sat the forehead protector off to the side, only to keep glancing at it as he continued to go through the trunk.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer**: I did not create nor own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because they were inspired and imagined from the help of the Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen:** **Long Lost Savior**

_**L**_ife in Konoha was completely different from living on the farm. Though, Naruto still woke at the crack of dawn, he found that there was _nothing _to do at such a time in a city-like village. Yeah, he could put on a pot of coffee or kettle of tea, fetch the morning paper, or check the weather on the local new station, but there was no fields to tend to or few chickens or an ox to feed or care for anymore. That was Naruto's dilemma throughout the seemingly long weekend.

It gave the Uzumakis a little bit of time to make the apartment their own by unpacking their things. Between the three of them, they didn't really have any affects to decorate the house with, so the three resulted to simply sticking to their own bedrooms, or in Naruto's case his room and the study.

The ominous trunk now deemed the "ninja gear storage trunk" sat before the onslaught of scrolls and its contents now only its current namesake. The orange banner hung from the beamed ceiling, which he discovered was a flag from the former _Uzu no kuni_. Naruto also took the time to place three _hitai-ites_ upon makeshift holders and place them on an empty shelf for viewing. Two belonged to his mother, one bore the Whirlpool insignia and belonged to his mother's family. The other was his mother's own headband that bore the Leaf insignia. The third _hitai-ite_ was Naruto's fathers and it bore the traditional navy blue cloth and Konoha insignia. Naruto found the other two bands after removing the last of the trunk's contents.

On the new and fresh Monday morning, Naruto could only watch as the sun slowly rose and brought more light over the waking village. He could only plan what to do for the day. Morning dew slowly rose and caused a light haze to hide the village streets below as Naruto sipped on a hot cup of green tea with citrus rind and jasmine flowers. It was time to get busy.

First off, Naruto woke his sisters. They needed to be in a school which, registering them would be the first thing on the agenda. Next, was shopping. They all needed a few things including food and personal effects. Hazuki would kill him if he didn't buy any shampoo, which Naruto was more in thoughts of toilet paper. The next thing on his agenda would be to find a job.

Twenty minutes later - Hazuki crammed a piece of toast into her mouth as she said, "It's already seven, _ani_! I think the schools start earlier here. Let's go!"

Sighing, Naruto decided to get the day's evils over and done with, as soon as possible. Momo was first. The junior high was merely three blocks down the main street and two blocks back north on the second strip. After showing the passes, signing document after document, providing proof of residency and even a current physical (thanks to Sakura and Ino), Momo was registered and able to start school the following day.

Naruto, of course, had to explain to them about Momo's inability to speak and that she communicated through universal sign language. He wasn't about to go on about her own personal makeshift sign language. That was only for family and friends and Momo's own way of _signing_ people out. He also took the time to meet her teachers, which Hazuki complained about the whole time because it took up more _time_. Think of Hazuki's horror when he visited her high school teachers too-during the middle of their classes.

Lifting up a textbook off a random desk of one of the senior kids in the class, Naruto said, "Trigonometry . . . boy does this bring back horrible, painful memories . . . "

"Excuse me, young man, but may I help you?" the teacher squawked, clearly not liking her class interrupted.

Naruto pointed his thumb at the now beet-red faced Hazuki as he said, "My sister will be in this class. Just thought I'd check it out before she came." looking at the teacher he said, "I don't want idiots teaching her something they don't even understand, know what I mean?"

This infuriated the _sensei_ as she growled, "Who do you think you are, to come into my class room and accuse such nonsense!"

"I just said I was her brother," said Naruto. He scowled and said, "For a teacher, you don't listen too well-"

"_Ani_, stop." pleaded Hazuki as she tried to pull him out of the classroom.

"Mind you, young man! I will have you removed from my classroom if you do not excuse yourself now!" snapped _sensei _with a ruler appearing in her hand and pointed at Naruto with dangerous intensions.

He smiled and said, "But I didn't fart. What should I excuse myself for?"

"_**ANI**_!" beseeched Hazuki as she clasped his hand and dragging him from the room.

Laughter erupted in the room, which Naruto laughed along with them. Being in a school made him want to act out; it was instinctive! It was his nature-even at twenty-six years of age. Hazuki went into lecture mode as she dragged the male blond through the halls, Momo trailed behind them and curiously looked around with a bright smile on her face.

"Do you have to do this to me, brother? Seriously? I mean, isn't it bad enough that you flirted and even got all smut-like with the Principle and got her phone number-"

"–It's not like I'm going to actually call her-"

"–have the Language Arts teacher re-planning his entire semester of studies–"

"–My idea in the material is way better than his old mythology books–"

"–Have the Debate Team stalking me now–"

"–I can't help that you like to argue and win–"

"–Made a complete ass of yourself in Gym–"

"–Coach was digging my Drill Sergeant methods–"

"–and, _AND_! You probably have my Math teacher pissed at me now and hates me before she even _knows _me! Thank you so much, _ani_. Thank you for making the last moments of my high school life hell."

"You're welcome." He said. He smiled brightly and placed his hands behind his head. "I'm hungry. All of that making your high school life hell has really put a dampening on my energy. Let's go get some lunch and then get the shopping over with! How's that sound, Momo-chan?"

Momo beamed at him, clasped his hand and skipped ahead. Hazuki looked at him as if she

had tasted something extremely sour.

* * *

It was the evening in Konoha, the sky cast heavenly hues from lilac-blue to deep ultraviolet with orange, gold, pink and peach lined clouds. Hazuki and Momo were at home, settled in for the night after their day downtown. School was set. Cabinets and the fridge were full of good food. Hazuki now had her precious shampoo, a roll of toilet paper was in the bathroom, and the youngest Uzumaki had new clothes for school. As Momo would say, "All was right with the world"

… It didn't quite feel that way for Naruto though.

He wandered alone down the slowly dwindling streets as the night continued to fall. He let his feet lead him to wherever. At the moment, Naruto didn't really care. He just wanted to get out of the apartment and get some fresh air. He ended up in a district named _Shinodo: _strict _shinobi_ grounds where no civilian was allowed to enter.

The ninja academy was located here, the only place within the gates of Konoha where any type of ninja training took place, unless within a clan compound of course. All other _shinobi_ training was done outside of Konoha. Various training grounds were located all around the western forest of Konoha, along with hidden _dojos_ and special training fields. As Naruto approached a bridge just beyond the borders of the village, he remembered meeting Kakashi and Sakura there. It was this place that team seven often met before they were assigned a duty, where they met before they began training, where they met before everything began to fall apart… But what caused them to begin to fall apart?

Naruto stopped in the middle of the bridge and went to the railing. Koi often swam in the gentle waters beneath the bridge, and as he looked down into the water he saw the brightly colored fish. The water seemed murkier than he remembered; muddier maybe.

His feet again began to lead him. Naruto walked silently with his hands in his pockets. His eyes casually took in everything as he noticed that this area he remembered. Not much had really changed over the course of ten years. The trees were thicker, some new undergrowth had appeared, but other than that, the _shinobi_ training grounds were the same.

His hand ran along chain length fencing as his legs moved a bit faster. He became anxious. Anticipation buillt as he neared someplace he felt he knew very well. He didn't even look at the warning sign when he opened the cage door and entered into the training ground his feet lead him to. The grass was worn from the constant use of the field. The trees seemed to wave happily at him as they creaked and moaned in the wind with greeting to an old friend. Naruto's feet moved silently upon the thin trail, only to slow when he came to a clearing where three stumps sat next to each other. They were worn from being used as targets in either physical spars with a human opponent or for a bull's-eye for _kunai_ and _shuriken_.

Instantly he placed his hand on the center stump, only to close his eyes and be bombarded with his first memories with his team. ..._The bell test_ … _Him trying to get the bell_ … _Kakashi poking him in the ass_ … _Sakura's scream_ … _the ring of the timer_ … _being tied to that very stump_ … _Sakura offering him food_ …

"You guys did great today."

His head instantly turned to Sakura's voice.

She spoke to her _genin_ as they walked out from the forest on the training ground they were in. They looked a little warn out from training. Sakura seemed like a good mentor because she was always encouraging and treating the three equally. He noticed that back in Aobusato at the farm. She always spent time with them equally, not individually, unless she was correcting their form or giving them a prep talk or scolding.

Haruka's hair was placid white, while the roots had about four inches of bright acid green sprouting from it. The last Naruto remembered all of the girl's long hair was that bright acid green. Hike and Shahoumaru both looked the same as he remembered them to be, on the exception of sweat and grime smudged on their forms.

"We'll all meet up again at the same time tomorrow," said Sakura as she looked to Hike, "And you after your classes."

Hike's shoulders stooped as he said, "Why am I the only _genin_ graduate who still has to attend normal school?"

"Because you're the Fire Daimyo's grandson," said Shahoumaru dully.

Haruka added, "And you are the one who whined about being in a private and home school taught. It's your own fault, Hike-kun." She grew a thoughtful look as she said, "Though, I wouldn't mind going to civilian school to see what it is like."

Naruto snorted. It caused the three to turn to him with wide caught-in-the-headlights eyes. "Being a ninja is much easier than trying to go through civilian school. Trust me, I know from experience."

Sakura stepped before her _genin_, as she said, "Naruto? What are you doing out here?" She smiled. "Trying to refresh your memories?"

He shrugged. "Just getting out for a while. I was a little restless and my feet brought me here. We trained here. It hasn't changed much at all…"

Hike scowled and pushed past his teammates. He stared Naruto down as he asked, "Is it true? Are you really him?"

Naruto's left brow rose as he mumbled, "What?"

"Are you really him? Uzumaki Naruto?" asked Hike as he crossed his arms and scowled.

Naruto stared down at the boy as a hard as a gust of wind blew and fondled his sunny blond hair, causing him to appear mystic and powerful. Hike suddenly felt very intimidated as the atmosphere grew heavy and the oxygen seemed to suddenly thin.

"Yeah, I am Uzumaki Naruto," he stated as he looked back to the stump. "Just not the one you're thinking of."

Hike's shoulders slumped as he mumbled, "What does that mean?"

Naruto glanced back at him as he said, "It means that I'm not who I once was. I'm not the person that this village remembers. I'm not that same kid who was tied to this post all those years ago…" He let his hand slip off the stump as he sighed, "I'm not him anymore."

"You will be though, right?" asked Hike hopeful.

Naruto shook his head as he said, "I'll never be him again."

Haruka asked, "Why not, Naruto _senpai_?"

He looked away from her as he said, "It's complicated. You would have to be me to understand. Even now, as I talk to you three, I'm very out of character for the Naruto that this village knew. He was brash, highly emotional and never attuned to his wits. He charged first and made plans later, going with this gut or letting his own emotions get the best of him. He was loud, always grinning and acting out to hide away the pain of loneliness and to gain at least some type of attention.

"I am not that same person that this village shunned and yet grew to acknowledge. I'm a lot smarter now. I'm more reserved and observant. I've become patient over the years, and pathetically weak. I haven't won a fight in years. Hell… I couldn't win one now. Its best that the village doesn't expect some long lost savor to suddenly rise from the dead." he looked back at all of them and deadpanned, "Because it isn't going to happen."

"So you're not going to be a _shinobi_ anymore?" Shahoumaru questioned with a disheartened look on his pale face.

Naruto plainly said, "Ninja are a dying race, kid." He frowned. "It's for the best really-"

"How can you say that?" snapped Hike as he clenched his fist and his eyebrows narrowed. "If it weren't for us, who would protect this village? Who would keep the peace?"

"For as long as the ninja system exists, there will never be peace," stated Naruto as he remembered words that were not his own. He looked away from them as he said, "This calm that you live in, it is merely an illusion, Hike. As a ninja, you strive for acceptance; for everyone to get along and begin to understand one another. It is known as assurance, but I'd rather think of it as love. When ninja can truly put all of their hate behind them, to accept and respect one another, then our world can be to find true peace.

"Trying to save the things you love breeds war. As long as love does exist, there will be hatred. Love is the key. It is stronger than any other emotion that a human possesses. Love for your village is what makes you put your lives on the line for this village. Love is what causes you to protect, to follow the right path, and to trust. But, everything has an opposite… Hate is the opposite of love. Hate is the darkest emotion that a human heart holds and its most destructive because it creates fear. Hate breeds many things that motivate a human being. Hate causes us to neglect. Hate leads us to wander down the wrong trail and to create doubt. Hate is what makes us seek out our enemies, what drives us to destroy the things that pain us."

"But that is our job. That is what ninja is for," mumbled Hike.

"No… Hike, what would you do if someone came and killed everything you ever cared about? What would you do if everything you loved was gone? Taken away in a single night, leaving you alone and with nothing?" asked Naruto as he intently gazed at the preteen boy.

Taken back, Hike mumbled, "I… I don't know."

"I'd get revenge," stated Haruka as she crossed her arms. "That is logical, _senpai_."

Naruto said, "So, you will track down the one that took everything away, right. You will track that person down, and then what? Take what they care about away? Kill them?"

"Why not both?" asked Haruka as she uncrossed her arms and grew a dejected look on her face.

"Okay, so you destroy your enemy . . . only for their friends and loved ones to come back for you for revenge. Now, someone is after you to take away the only thing you have left . . . your life." stated Naruto. He looked between the two. "Do you understand what happened?" asked Naruto. "Do you see the cycle ninja are always caught within?"

This caused Haruka to look perplexed as Hike kept his eyes on the ground.

"I understand," said Shahoumaru. "When we go and try to destroy the things we fear, or when we destroy the thing we hate, we only create more hate. We create hatred, and we are used by that hatred to breed more hatred and fear. As a ninja, our impact on others is a constant circle of hatred. Hate and fear that we merely spread to others…" mumbled Shahoumaru with his violet eyes lost in deep thought. "There will never be true order, there will never be peace in the ninja system. With the existence of love, there is the existence of hate… I understand what you are trying to tell us, Naruto _senpai_."

"Fear leads to many things," stated Naruto. The wind blew and fondled his hair as he said, "Fear eventually turns into hate. Hate morphs into violence. Violence breeds into fear. It is a vicious cycle that will never end. Ninjas preach about peace. They boast about it, only how are they to truly find it if it is they who continue to spread hate and fear?"

"That's deep," mumbled Hike as he kept his eyes on the ground. "I've never thought of things like that before."

"Me neither," uttered Haruka as she felt slightly embarrassed.

"Are you done depressing and mentally challenging my students, Naruto?" questioned Sakura.

He smiled sheepishly as he muttered, "Sorry, Sakura-chan."

"Are you hungry?" she asked as she looked back at her _genin_. "We normally go to Ichiraku's Ramen Bar after our training sessions. Would you like to come?"

Hike nodded excitedly, while Haruka smiled and Shahoumaru curtly nodded. They all were motioning for the young man to agree when Sakura turned to him hopefully. Naruto shrugged.

"Okay."

* * *

For a moment, Naruto stood before the little bar that Sakura's _genin_ had already entered. She paused and glanced at him as he continued to stare at the shop, a sad smile on his face. Silently he entered the restaurant.

Though Konoha held a deep similarity to what it once was, there were still many different things that kept Naruto in a state of denial. Landmarks and places he once knew now were gone or had changed. Not this place though. It was still the same, down to its finest details.

Nostalgia hit him hard when his hand pushed along the bright red flap. The smells were even the same, if not better. Maybe it had just been so many years since he had smelt Ichiraku's ramen. There were only six stools before the bar and a sitting area for takeout. Naruto quietly sat down next to Sakura as he continued to look over the bar. The pictures were different, even the menu styles changed from what he last remembered…

"I ate here a lot," said Naruto as he ran his hand on the thickly lacquered wood of the bar. His eyes scowled in thought. "At least at the old one I did."

"Ramen was your favorite food," replied Sakura with a slight smile on her face. "It was all you ate at times. No one thought that you would grow! You were so addicted to this junk that you didn't even eat anything else."

"I still am addicted," said Naruto said in a matter-of-fact tone. He looked at Sakura, and then to her _genin_ as he said, "And if ramen is 'junk', so to say, then why to treat your _genin_ to it after training?"

"They need the sodium after the regimen I put them through," replied Sakura plainly as she looked away. "And there is no trans-fat in ramen either. It may not be the healthiest of foods, but it is filling. Especially when it comes to three growing _genin_."

Naruto smiled and coyly said, "Ah… So you come here because it's cheap."

"Yep." chimed Haruka.

"You got it," announced Hike with a smile.

Shahoumaru sighed, "Unfortunately."

Sakura dully looked at her team as she mumbled, "Teaming up against me now are we?"

The _genin_ looked away. Their expressions were all too innocent as she smiled and shook her head at their antics. They had really grown on her over the past months. Sakura was pulled from her wandering thoughts when Ayame entered from the back room. The woman smiled at them until her eyes fell upon the blond man in the seat next to Sakura. The brown-haired woman loudly gasped and dropped the bamboo bowl of freshly chopped vegetables she held. It loudly clomped on the tile floor.

"Naruto?" exhaled Ayame.

Her hand went over her heart when he looked up at her. That thick, bright yellow blond hair, those transcending, sapphire eyes . . .

"Minato?"

Naruto's brows rose at the old man who entered from the back room and stared at him hard. He was clearly in a frail condition. Teuchi wobbled a bit on the cane he now donned. Ayame quickly aided the man who continued toward the counter.

Teuchi chuckled as he went to the counter and stood before the young man and said, "Namikaze Minato? It has been a while Yondaime-sama! How have you been?"

"I'm not Minato, Teuchi. You're confusing me with my father," said Naruto as he averted his eyes to the countertop. "I'm Naruto, Minato's son. Uzumaki Naruto."

The _genin_ gasped at that, while Sakura looked at Naruto with one of her lovely pink brows rose in surprise. Apparently his origins were kept a secret throughout the ninja world.

"Uzumaki . . . Oi! Naruto!" gasped Teuchi with his eyes wide on recognition. "Ahh! How have you been? It has been a while since you've been here! What. A year or two now? You're really grown since you've been gone with Toad Sage! How was that training mission with the great Jiraiya-sama? You must tell me all about it!"

"Maybe some other time, father," said Ayame softly and seeing Naruto's discomfort. "Why don't you go to the backroom and help Toto prepare some more fresh ingredients, father? For Naruto-kun's meal?"

"Ahh! Yes! Yes, wonderful idea!" exclaimed Teuchi as he turned away and quickly wobbled to the back room. "I have that wonderful fermented bamboo…"

Ayame frowned as she watched him, and mumbled to Naruto, "I'm sorry about that, Naruto-kun. Father hasn't been his self in the past few years."

"No need to apologize," replied Naruto, "Can I ask what happened? It doesn't seem like he should be so aged and out of it."

"He began to get sick about five years back." Said Ayame. "About two years back, he completely fell out and I thought I was going to lose him… He had cerebrospinal meningitis. The bacteria affected his brain and spine to a point that, doctors weren't sure if he would even be able to walk or think right ever again. They didn't even believe he would last through the night, but Sakura-san helped us the best that she could. Father isn't back to one hundred percent, but he is at least back."

Naruto nodded. Ayame smiled, forcing the damping atmosphere away as she pulled out her note pad and pen.

"So. What can I get all of you?"

After they ordered, the lot at the bar grew silent as Ayame prepared the orders. Naruto was happy that she didn't press the issue on his disappearance and sudden reappearance. Naruto went back to looking around the area, while the _genin _seemed to whisper their own conspiracy theories and thoughts.

Sakura watched Naruto, only to break the silence between them and ask, "How have things been for you so far?"

"All right," he replied as he glanced at her. "I have Hazuki and Momo in school now, the apartment is somewhat in order and we have food. Things have been going alright for now."

"What about you?" she pressed, causing him to turn to her.

"I feel like I'm dreaming," he admitted. "Like this is all a dream that I'm going to end up waking up from. That this isn't real. Sometimes I wonder if it really is real. Some of the memories just don't add up. They're missing pieces that I have to try and place together. Faces are missing. Voices are wrong or not there at all. This entire village is wrong…"

"I'll come in time, Naruto. Just be patient," said Sakura.

Her hand rested on his hand. He glanced at her and noticed how she smiled encouragingly, sweetly… It made his heart flutter and feel as if it skipped a beat. Her slender fingers caressed his skin and then firmly entwined with his.

"Let me help you, Naruto." said Sakura softly with her eyes gazing intently at the floor. She rose them to his sapphire orbs as she said, "I might have been useless in the past and managed to do nothing but get into the way, but please. Let me help you put the pieces back together. Let me be here for you now. We can get through this together. All you have to do is say so, and I'm here Naruto."

Their orders slid onto the countertop. It caused the stomach-turning moment to shatter. Naruto's shoulders stooped when Sakura moved her warm hand from his. Again the lot of them grew silent on the exception of slurping noodles, clinking of chopsticks and the satisfied moans that the delicious delight ramen brought.

* * *

**Japanese Words**

Shinodo: way of the shinobi (rough translation, 'cause shino basically means, warrior . . . I think) I could have gone with Nindo, but that would seem cliché and Bushido is for samurai.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer**: I did not create nor own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because they were inspired and imagined from the help of the Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen:** **Trigger Happy Uchiha**

_**T**_wo long weeks passed by fairly quick in Konoha. It didn't even really seem that long, but indeed a whole fourteen days had gone by since the Uzumakis moved to the Hakado district. Not a word was heard from them since then it seemed. Not even a "thank you", or "Hello, yes we're still alive. Just thought we'd let you know." Worst of all was how Naruto basically fell off the _shinobi_ map.

It was your typical Friday. The Hokage announced that a ninja thought to be killed in action was found, that Uzumaki Naruto had returned home. A small celebration currently took place . . . only the start of the celebration was nowhere to be found - even after being summoned twice by the Hokage via birds. A third request had yet to be answered.

Everyone thought it was odd to say in the very least that Uzumaki Naruto was hidden within the Hidden Village. Such a dilemma had never happened before within Konoha. A village-wide search was in effect to find the young man, and slowly was becoming more futile as time progressed. Naruto's apartment sat empty, though the Uzumakis' personal belongings were still in place. Hazuki and Momo were in school as for the resident _jinchuuriki_, well he was gone.

Naruto wasn't near training grounds. No one saw him ever go to Ichiraku's ramen bar, and he didn't even grace his appearance anywhere _shinobi_ would be located. In fact, he didn't even try to find anyone from his past. Naruto had become a civilian . . . he had become what most assassins, mobsters, and gang bangers would call a complete schmuck.

"Are you sure you want plastic?" he asked, as the confused old woman looked between the paper bag and plastic bag he held up. "One kills trees and the other kills sea turtles."

The female cashier rolled her eyes and sighed. "Uzumaki," she ever so dully groaned. "You are going to be like, be the death of me. She only bought a lotto ticket."

"Being that you're a Goth that should be right up your ally." teased Naruto as he put the bags away. Smiling at the distraught old woman Naruto chirped, "Thank you for shopping at this awesome store that I work at! Come back again!"

"Can't you even remember the name of the place where you work?"

Naruto glanced back at the store manager, Iie (which his parents were clearly drunk when they named him) and said, "Nope. Sometimes I can't even remember my own name."

Hey, he wasn't lying. Three weeks ago he would have given you a completely different name from Uzumaki Naruto.

"Idiot…you have been working here for two weeks now, worm. Either get the name of the store right, or the owner will hear about it, and you'll most likely be fired. Got it, Uziraka."

"It's U-zu-ma-ki." grumbled Naruto as he crossed his arms."You better get it right next time or I'm going – yeah, okay! Just walk away then when someone is threatening you!"

Iie was indeed walking away, clipboard in hand and glasses pressed upon his nose.

_Is this really it?_ _Is this my life now? _Naruto pondered as he felt detached. He went from a _shinobi_ \- something he couldn't quite remember doing; to a farmer-something he enjoyed and now couldn't do in order to keep his sisters safe and hidden; to a complete schmuck - a pushover with a broom with a measly salary of three-hundred and fifty thousand _ryos_* every two weeks and nothing going for him in the future…

This existence…

There had to be more…

Goth girl shook her head. "Wow. He really doesn't like you, Uzumaki."

"He better start, or I'm going to shove that sick that's up his ass to a point that it comes out his mouth," replied Naruto pleasantly with a smile on his face that caused the Goth to cringe.

"Dat's hardcore, playa." said a teenaged boy as he walked up to them wearing a white apron and a box cutter clipped to his pant pocket. "I'd pay ta see dat shit. Ol' Iie-san has it a long time coming, yo."

Ah, his only two other coworkers. Miki, the teal haired Goth with brown eyes, ghastly white makeup, black lipstick, extra thick black eyeliner, and tattoos on her arms and neck. She was actually a pleasant person who showed no emotion, not even in her super dull voice. Then there was his mocha-skinned fellow male, Buoy. Cornrows made up his dark hair and he was an average kid who was more into technology and music. Oh, and he tried to talk gangster or something in that genre.

"Buoy, what brings you from the harsh ghetto of stocking?" asked Naruto as he resumed his usual work: leaning up against the cashier's counter and talking with his coworkers.

Looking flatly at the blond, Buoy grumbled, "Got bored of dat shit, yo. Too many people comin' in and out anyway. Keep taking shit off the shelves I just finished, then not puttin' the shit back where it belongs. Dat's enough to make a brother jutsu dem bitches up, yo."

"I can imagine," mumbled Naruto as he tried to hold back his chuckle. "How many jutsus do you know exactly?"

Buoy looked away and tugged on the collar of his shirt as he said, "Well…" he quickly snapped out of it and crossed his arms proclaiming, "A brother don' tell wha' shit he know! He just do it!"

"Uh-huh." deadpanned Miki emotionless as always. "I know bullshit no jutsu when I see it."

Naruto laughed, as Buoy pouted with his shoulders stooped. "Dat ain't right, Miki-chan. I thought ya were my sister."

"You thought wrong." she replied indifferently. "Besides, only ninja use jutsus because they possess efficient chakra to use them. If we tried, we'd most certainly die."

"Get back to work, worms!" Iie shouted over the intercom, causing the three to cringe. "Especially you, Uzuwaki!"

Both Miki and Byoy held the young man back when he growled, "I'm going to show that toupee wearing bastard, Uzuwaki!"

* * *

Sakura was worried. She hadn't seen Naruto since her last encounter with him when he showed up at the training grounds. That was almost two weeks ago… He seemed so far. As if even though Naruto was physically there, Naruto's spirit was not. He was slipping out of her reach…

"Where are you," pondered Sakura as she stared at a photo of him that she had never seen before.

He was wearing a bright blue robe with a matching graduation cap. A cream-colored scroll tightly held was in his left hand as he held it up so it could clearly be captured in the shot as he posed with a large smile on his whisker-lined face. There were a couple of other teens posed with him, possibly school friends. He had to be eighteen in the picture… She looked away and frowned.

Naruto's dresser was lined with photos; big ones to little ones with various poses and scenes. There was one picture of him wrapped in bandages, his head the most wrapped up as he smiled at the camera. He was only sixteen in this picture. A brown-haired seven-year-old girl was hugging his neck tightly, her royal blue eyes red with tears yet a happy smile on her face, while a toddler of two with a bald head starting to grow a fuzz of bright peach hair, laughed on his lap while playing with one of the bandages she managed to unwrap.

There was a more comical photo of Naruto, possibly seventeen being tugged one way by a eight-year-old Hazuki holding a pinwheel in her free hand and his other arm being jerked by a three-year-old Momo who had a stick of dango in her mouth and wild peach-colored hair. They were at a carnival, both holding onto his hands and trying to run him different directions at the same time. Sakura lightly giggled at his surprised, yet joyful face.

Another that caught Sakura's attention was of Naruto and Momo. Naruto was sleeping on a couch, a book slipping out of his hand while a curled up Momo slept between him and the armrest she had nestled herself into. The girl's tiny hands were clasped around Naruto's larger fingers, her head resting on his chest, a happy smile tracing her lips. It appeared that they both had fallen asleep while reading, for the book, was of children's nursery rhymes. Naruto was older in this picture, in his twenties, as Momo looked to be around seven-years-old.

No wonder their bond was so close, why Naruto no matter what, wanted those two girls in his life. He genuinely was their _onisan_. The more Sakura looked at the pictures of his past with these two girls, the more she wished that she could have been there with him. To see Naruto happy like that, to watch him grow and bond with the two girls he considered sisters. To see him smile as he genuinely done in the photos… _Could I make him smile like that? _she thought. He looked so happy in the pictures… Naruto had a family…

"You have a whole other side of you that I don't even know about, Naruto…" said Sakura sadly as she glanced at a photo of the three fishing at the beach. "I feel like I have to get to know you all over again…"

"Sakura," called Sasuke.

He startled her as she looked up to the bedroom door. Kakashi ordered Sasuke and she to search for the missing blond. It was the least that they could do, and really the only thing that Sasuke could do. There was reasoning to why he became Kakashi's official assistant, and that reasoning was still a touchy subject for the Uchiha. Sakura knew it though, because she was the one who diagnosed him. In three to five years tops, Uchiha Sasuke would be legally blind.

Looking over Naruto's room that lacked any evidence to where he might have gone, Sakura let out a deep sigh and returned to the kitchen. Why was it bound to be that her team, team seven had such accursed luck? They were never whole…ever since their first _chunnin_ exam, since that curse mark… The whole team had been cursed.

"I didn't find anything… How can he just up and vanish like this?" Sakura wondered aloud.

"This is ridiculous." groaned Sasuke as he rubbed his temples. "He didn't just drop off the face of the ear-"

They turned to the door when the knob began to turn. The door silently opened, only for Naruto to walk in. He looked at the two people in his home and then shook his head as he closed the door.

"You do realize that there are laws for breaking and entering right?" asked Naruto as he looked between Sakura and Sasuke.

His tone clearly wasn't happy. Sasuke looked a little peeved, while Sakura had a mixture of relief and anger hinting her features.

Sakura instantly rounded on him. "Where the hell have you been? You have everyone worried!"

"Why?" wondered Naruto as he dropped the keys onto the table and walked past her to the refrigerator. "I'm doing what most people would do, and it's called living."

"The Hokage summoned you twice!"

"I was at work. I sent the message back to him each time and after the third one he excused me." said Naruto with an indifferent look on his face. "I'm not a _shinobi_, Sakura. I don't have to stop what I'm doing and go running to him. As a civilian, I do have rights."

"What fucking world are you living on, _dobe_?" blurted Sasuke as he stared at the blond confused. "The Hokage is the village leader."

"Yeah, so. I was working," stated Naruto as he opened the fridge and retrieved a carton of milk and then sat it on the counter. "He understands."

"Well I don't, so explain to me what would be more important than showing up to a celebration in your honor?" said Sasuke as he crossed his arms.

"I don't have to explain anything to you. I don't even know you." retorted Naruto who now donned the glare that vanished from Sasuke's visage. "You can explain to me though, on what the fuck you're thinking of breaking into my home."

Sakura pushed Naruto to the side, her grip tight. She forced him to stare her in the eyes as she said, "Naruto, wait a minute. Back up. You don't remember him?"

"No." snapped Naruto as he pushed her bone-crushing grip from his arm. "And that hurts."

She didn't apologize. Instead Sakura grew pensive.

"I don't understand… How do you not remember, Sasuke-kun?" asked Sakura with her eyes curious and equally confused. "I mean… We all went through so much… Memories of our team should be interlinked together. You remember me, you remember Kakashi _sensei_ and you should have remembered something about Sasuke–"

"Listen." interrupted Naruto. He grabbing her shoulders and stared into her milky jade eyes with his dark sapphire orbs. "Other than the few pictures I have here, there is nothing of this man in my memories."

"Not even-"

"Nothing." deadpanned Naruto with a scowl. He released her as she stared at him perplexed. "I'm only on my lunch break-"

Sasuke let out an agitated sigh. "Naruto. You have to make some type of appearance at the ceremony. I'm sure you can take time off work to-"

"You do understand how the economy works, right?" asked Naruto as he grabbed the carton of milk and retrieved a glass. "I have to work in order to get by. I can't miss either 'cause I just started this job. Sorry, I just can't do it. I'd rather not do it anyway. I need to work. I need to make money."

"So all this time; the past two weeks you have been working?" asked Sakura stunned. She watched Naruto as he poured the milk into the glass. "Th-That is what you've been doing all this time? This is why we haven't seen you in that past couple of weeks is because you've been working?"

"You work too, so what's the point of getting pissed off at me?" asked Naruto as he slammed the carton of milk down on the counter. He glared right back at her as he said, "You want to hit me…I can see it in your eyes. I really piss you off that much huh?"

"Yes, sometimes you really do, Naruto!" grumbled Sakura as she crossed her arms below her breast. "Why haven't you contacted any of us? You may not miss us, but we all have missed you!"

He shrugged, keeping himself indifferent as he drank his milk. Once done, he looked at her and uttered, "I've been busy.

"Busy doing what?" Sakura pressed as she dangerously stalked closer to him as her fist clenched dangerously.

"Working," said Naruto as he kept his ground and looked down at the furious _kunoichi_ whose forehead met his chin. "What does it matter anyway. You're always working at the hospital or out on missions anyway… Face it Sakura-chan. We're not on the same bracket anymore."

"How can you say that to me?" asked Sakura crestfallen as her shoulders stooped as she stared up at him pleadingly. Her fingers gripped into his shirt as she uttered, "Naruto… Do you even want to remember? Don't you want to go back to how things were?"

Naruto groaned and pulled her hands from him. "Things can never go back to how they once were. Don't you understand that, Sakura? It has been ten years. You have changed and I have changed. Things just don't fit right back into place, especially when one of these things has become damaged and no longer fits as it used to. I'm sorry, but you have to understand that, Sakura. Besides, it's not like I'm not trying. I have been studying."

"Studying?" inquired Sasuke with a dark brow rose in curiosity.

Naruto nodded and grabbed an apple from the counter, and then he waved for the two to follow him. Taking a bite of the apple, Naruto lead them to the expansive study. Currently the area was a massive disaster area: a work area mixed between a study and miniature training area. Scrolls littered the tables and some were even stacked neatly next to chairs. A training dummy hung from a corner beam, while in designated post bulls eyes stood.

"Momo is trying to train herself to be like you, Sakura-chan." said Naruto as he plucked a _shuriken_ from one of the post. "She has a way better aim than me. She actually thinks that she can be a _kunoichi_… I think someone at school is helping her . . ." He sighed and dropped the throwing star into a box of others. Using his apple to point to the collective mess, Naruto said, "I've been studying some of these scrolls about the history of Konoha and the surrounding nations. _Chichi_ was a lunatic. Besides having some wicked thoughts for jutsus, he was a huge history buff."

"_Chichi_?" questioned Sasuke.

"Yeah, Namikaze Minato. Brilliant mind. Shame that his genius didn't pass to me." said Naruto as he wandered over to a pile of scrolls. "I got my mother's more wild and drifting nature than my father's more reserved and free nature. I guess when you have two free spirits though, you end up with a carefree idiot as a son…"

"Are you thinking of becoming a _shinobi_ again, Naruto?" asked Sakura as her eyes rested on a typical academy scroll.

He paused and looked at the pile the pink haired woman referred to. Biting his apple, Naruto shook his head. "That is Momo's mess. I haven't even really given it too much thought. I've been worried about other things… Give my condolences to everyone at the ceremony. I have to go-"

Sakura instantly glared at him as she snapped, "Where are you going?"

"Going back to work," mumbled Naruto as he watched her with dull eyes. "I have to work to live, Sakura-chan. _Ryos_ rules everything around me. I'll be off later… Maybe we can get something to eat later on…I don't know, we'll see. We both have things to do, lives to live that are completely different now… Lock up when you let yourselves out."

With that said, Naruto vanished down the hall and back into the kitchen. His keys scraped along the table when he picked them up. The door snapped silently when he exited.

"What the fuck is his problem?" fumed Sakura as she clenched her fist tightly as she glared down the hall Naruto vanished down. "What the fuck is he on! Who does he think he-"

"Sakura. Let it go," stated Sasuke as she turned to him glaring. "You of all people should know better than to get all worked up over this, and he is right."

"Wh-"

"Sakura, I don't know how you see things, but Naruto is right. Things will not ever be the same again," stated Sasuke as he looked out the study's windows. "Things cannot go back to how they once were… They never will."

Sakura stooped. Her eyes grew dull as she mumbled, "I know… I still can't believe that he doesn't remember you though," Sakura picked up the framed picture of their team when it first assembled that stood upon a small round end table. "I figured he would have remembered you right away."

"I actually expected him to forget me." Sasuke's eyes dulled as he said, "I would have if I were him. I wouldn't doubt if he repressed and blocked anything that had to do with me. Especially after that night-"

"Hey," interjected Sakura. Her anger flashed away as she smiled one of her fake grins, not ever wanting to bring up that moment in their past ever again. "He'll come around." her smile faded as she mumbled, "It just feels that he is drifting further away from us…"

"He is," said Sasuke as he cast his eyes at the picture Sakura still held. She looked at him teary-eyed as he said, "At any moment, the wind can come and carry him away."

* * *

The sunset as Naruto kept leaned against the chain length fencing of the training ground. True to his word, he figured it couldn't hurt to go have a bite to eat with Sakura. He felt awful for how detached he was toward Sakura earlier in the day. Some of the things that he said were off. They were things that he probably didn't need to say. He let his stress from work follow him home, and allowed it to expel in his actions and words toward Sakura and their… supposed teammate.

Things at work though were not going too smoothly, at least not with the manager it wasn't. The idiot couldn't even take a joke… How was Naruto to know that the patch of hair he thought was a toupee actually _wasn't _and that it _wasn't _meant to be ripped off the man's head?

He closed his eyes when a soft breeze blew. The warm air caressed his face and fondled his sunny locks of hair. It felt almost as if fingers gently combed through it. Then the breeze died down, leaving him alone and again lost in his constantly running thoughts. He could hear Sakura's _genin_ near. When they exited the field, they looked at him apprehensively. Sakura had yet to emerge from the field.

"Where is Sakura-chan?" asked Naruto,only to be given death glares that would make that Uchiha guy proud.

"What are you doing here?" grumbled Hike clearly not happy.

Haruka added, "You know, _sensei_ has been in a really bad mood since she came from your place… We've faced nothing but her wrath since then, thanks to you."

"What are you implying?" Naruto bluntly asked.

"You're going to make it up to us." stated Hike. He pointed to Naruto and said, "You're buying dinner, since all you do is work, mister money bags!"

Naruto was about to answer in an angry retort, only for a hard hand to clap onto his back. "Did someone say something about eating?"

Akamichi Choji smiled, his eyes squinted when Naruto turned to him. Something about eating and this man stirred something within Naruto's memory. Eating equaled to intake of fat, which Akamichi's used their massive body weight in their clan techniques. Clan techniques… They ate so they could perform jutsus! Their jutsus revolved around their body weight; it revolved around manipulating their body! A flood, memories of Choji decoded, snowing heavily within Naruto's mindscape as he realized who this large man really was. He was a comrade… a good friend.

"Holy shit, Choji?" Naruto said with wide eyes as if seeing him for the first time in ages. "Y-Your huge! You've grown to be taller than me!"

Naruto yelped when the larger than life man scooped him up in a deadly bear hug. A huge smile was on Akamichi's face as Naruto's face was turning blue.

"I knew you'd eventually remember!" snickered Choji as he dropped Naruto from his grip. "We should go get a bite to eat! To celebrate!"

Naruto wheezed and looked up at the man with a pained smile. "I'm not paying for your share. If your appetite is how I remember it to be, you'll put me in the hole before I even realize I dug a hole."

Choji laughed, his round face childish and his cheeks rosy. "Yeah, I'd eat anyone out of house and town! My old man can't even keep up with me anymore!"

"Come on, Choji." said Shikamaru with a smirk on his face as he walked up from behind his teammate. "We promised Kurenai that we'd watch the kid tonight. She has a mission and is counting on us to be on time, so no stops."

"Careful, Nara. One would think that you actually liked children and would force you to take a team of snot-nosed _genin_."

Another voice came from before them. It was the raven-haired man, the Hokage's assistant Uchiha Sasuke. He looked at Naruto with a blank look that, Naruto only gave back. The way Sasuke looked at Naruto made him feel as if he should know him, only each time Naruto thought about it, he only drew blanks.

"In another year I'll have a _genin_ team." Shikamaru shrugged. "And this is coming from someone who said, I quote, 'I hate kids' end quote, yet is fixing to have a kid?"

"I was young when I said that." Sasuke defended.

"It was yesterday morning," said Shikamaru bluntly.

"Hn," was Sasuke's response. "I was a day younger than today."

"Aye, Naruto." said Choji. "Have you thought any more about re-enlisting?"

"No. I don't think I can," mumbled Naruto with a faraway expression. _What is with everyone asking me that? _

Shikamaru was the one to calmly ask, "Why not?"

_Push me why don't you? _"I don't really remember anything about being a ninja." Replied Naruto. "I mean yeah, I can move like a _shinobi_ to an extent, I can throw a punch or two, but other than that I don't know shit. Dumb luck is what pushed me through the incident back on the farm, but I don't think I can necessarily reproduce those same results. Not without being confronted, I don't think." _Now leave me alone about-_

"Have you tried?" inquired Sakura as she appeared suddenly with her _genin_ quickly stepping behind her as ducklings.

Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly he mumbled, "Yeah, but it wasn't very pleasant. I feel really clumsy or out of place when I try to do a stance or kata. I just can't do it. My memories don't really back up that well." _Now please, leave me alone about this ninja crap!_

"So you need to be triggered then," said Sasuke as he turned to Naruto with his onyx eyes sparkled with sudden life.

Before Naruto had a chance to react, the dark-haired man was at him, a punch directed as his face. His body reacted on its own as he leaned back. He leaned way to far for him to even correct himself and Naruto crashed to the ground with a yelp. The air knocked from his lungs, but that didn't really seem to matter. A foot was on a collision course with his face.

Naruto rolled out of the way with a sharp yelp. He watched as Sasuke shifted, and suddenly was on his hands before Naruto even realized what was going on. Sasuke's other foot connected to Naruto's head, and he flew. Upon slamming hard into a tree and once again having the air knocked from him, Naruto was dazed and completely stupefied. He wondered what the hell just hit him. His sight was unfocused, but he could see a dark blur barreling toward him.

"Sasuke stop!" screamed Sakura with anger evident in her voice.

A fist connected and Naruto sprawled back to the ground. He laid there and felt himself shake as his mind was in turmoil. He sucked in a deep breath of air, rolled onto his back as his entire body hurt. A metallic taste was in his mouth. He closed his eyes, drowned the world out as Sakura's voice rung in his ears. She was yelling at someone…

_Don't just lay there… Get up. _his own voice commanded in his mind. _Stop denying what you are and let yourself fucking remember, god damn it!_

_But Hazuki–_

_She'll be fine. She told you her thoughts, her own feelings from her heart. Just accept it. Stop pushing it back. This is the most important of things to remember, Naruto. If we don't remember these memories if you keep rejecting them, how are we supposed to protect our _imootos _if we can't remember how to defend?_

Naruto never thought of that until now. That demented priestess would be back… And then Kenji…

_Accept it. Don't block it anymore… Remember, Naruto. Remember what you really are. Remember what it is that we fight for. What we want to do!_

"I want to protect them." whispered Naruto with his blue eyes snapping open as resolution flooded him.

He pushed himself to his knees, and then brought his hands together as he closed his eyes. His fingers shifted into a comforting ram sign and energies circulated. Something calming and gentle suddenly mixed with another source that was torrent and powerful. Chakra rushed throughout his being, caused his nerves to tingle as he couldn't help but shutter. That euphoric feeling rushed throughout him as chakra circulated, his once tense body jubilating upon the effects and power now coursing through it as Naruto opened his eyes. Memories guided him as he turned to Sasuke, who currently was arguing with Sakura and Shikamaru.

Balling his fist, anger flooded Naruto when Sasuke turned to him. For a moment, the adult Sasuke whom wore black and blue vanished. A teenaged Sasuke stood in his wake who wore an odd ensemble, and glared back at him with crimson eyes that donned black atomic looking marks. A black and white sword was unsheathed in his hand, pointed toward Naruto… Just as the image of this younger Uchiha appeared, it vanished leaving the elder in its place.

From the pits of someplace dark and distraught, anger and sadness fumed within Naruto. In a scream, he charged, his fist connected with Sasuke's face. The raven-haired man flew back and crashed into one of the training fences, causing it to collapse and fall. Dust lightly stirred as Naruto waited. The group around stepped back, as in a blur, Sasuke charged. Naruto blocked the first swing of the paler man's fist, ducked under a kick, and had his own hits blocked.

Everything slowed down, his eyes catching the movement as he blocked Sasuke's foot, only to take hold of it and in a roar, swing him in an arch overhead to slam him to the ground. Sasuke merely landed on his free foot. Pulling away from Naruto's grip, Sasuke launched at the blond-haired man, who dodged his punches and kicks. Another punch had Naruto once again leaning back, only this time his body became extraordinarily limber. He went into a backflip and tried to kick Sasuke off guard. The kick missed, for Sasuke had already lowered to swipe Naruto's hands off the floor. Somehow, the blond managed to twist away and end up crouched on his feet.

Naruto without warning caught the wrist of the balled fist directed at his face. He pulled the arm down to his left, causing the man's back to face him. Fingers slipped into the fanny pack of the ninja and Naruto pulled out a single _kunai_ as he dodged the foot that was on a collision course with his face. The _kunai_ twirled in his hand before slamming into Sasuke's side.

There was a loud wail as Sasuke suddenly parted and held his side as Naruto was in a crouch, _kunai_ before him; his right hand-glazed in blood. This Naruto looked different from the recent Naruto that was in his place moments ago. This Naruto was dangerous. He had a different gleam in his darkened eyes. His posture was less tense, extremely unpredictable and ready for either defensive or offensive maneuvers.

"Are you mad?" Sasuke pointed out as he looked at the bleeding wound with shocked eyes. He looked to Naruto scowling. "What is wrong with you?"

Naruto seemed to snap out of his trance as he dropped the _kunai_ as if it were scorching hot. "I…I didn't mean…"

They were all looking at him. They all stared. Even Sakura's _genin_ looked a little shaken. Naruto backed away in heavy steps. His breathing deepened as Sakura stopped tending to Sasuke and looked at Naruto alarmed.

She stared at him hard with her milky jade eyes. "It's okay, Naruto-"

"No this isn't okay," he snapped, his hand shaking as he looked at the blood upon it. "I keep killing people…Hurting people…"

"Naruto," mumbled Sakura as she stepped toward him with her hand extended and gently grazing his own. "It's alright-"

Naruto quickly snapped his hand back took a step back as he said, "Stay away from me." His voice had grown so paranoid. His skin had paled. "Ever since you've come into my life, everything's been fucked up!"

If Sakura was offended, she didn't look it as she lifted her hands in surrender and kept calm. She softly spoke. "Naruto, listen to me. It's okay. Come with me and I'll help you-"

"Help me?" he retorted grimly. "Help me by triggering me? By making me lay down so you people can go back to messing with my head? Fuck that!"

Shikamaru stepped up and said, "She's only trying to help-"

"Fuck. That." deadpanned Naruto as he glared at him. "I don't understand what you're all expecting from me." He looked at the lot of them, backing away. "What do any of you want from me anyway? I wasn't even important to anyone until I showed everyone how strong I was! None of you wanted to help me in the past! I had to do it all alone, and I had to prove myself to the lot of you before you'd even acknowledge me! I had to prove that I wasn't some dead last loser! That I wasn't some pathetic short shit that didn't have anyone or anything! I had to make everyone acknowledge me! I had to work hard to do it!"

"Naruto… We just want to help you-"

"I don't need your help! I've never needed anyone's help! I can do this on my own!" he shouted as he stared at Sakura hard as she looked taken back. Naruto shook his head and stepped further away as he said, "Just leave me alone," he glanced between the lot of them there and said, "All of you. Leave me alone. I don't need you. I don't…"

He backed away, only to turn and briskly walk away. Sakura watched him leave as she let out a deep sigh.

"Are you alright, _sensei_?" asked Haruka as she grasped her teacher's hand.

Sakura placed a fake smile on her visage and ran her hand over her hair. "Did you hear what he said?"

Hike frowned. "Yeah… Just say the word, _sensei_. I'll go kick his ass if you want, if I'll make you happy."

"No, Hike-kun." said Sakura softly with her smile fading. "All those things that Naruto said… It means that he is remembering." she looked at her students smiling sadly. "He is remembering from his academy days most likely."

"We weren't very nice to him back then…" admitted Choji."We pushed him away. Excluded him most of the time… I can understand how he felt back then. Right now though, outburst like that can be expected from him…at least from what Ino said."

"Yeah," mumbled Shikamaru as he cut his eyes as Sasuke. "You didn't really help much by trying to get Naruto to fight. All you did was made him reject us even more. Good going, Uchiha."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I wasn't expecting him to stab me with my own _kunai_-"

"Uchiha _senpai_?" uttered Haruka timidly."I thought that you and Sakura _sensei_ has always taught us to look underneath the underneath, and to expect anything."

"Yeah," Hike countered with his own thoughts. "If you weren't expecting him to get you with your own _kunai_, then _shouldn't _you expect him to do it?"

"That would be the concept of your philosophy, Uchiha _senpai_." Shahoumaru said with a blunt shrug.

Sakura snickered along with the rest of the lot. Sasuke let out a deep, regretful sigh. "I hate kids."

* * *

**-Note-**

* it rounds to $450.00 in our money, if I have it figured right when it comes to ryos.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer**: I did not create nor own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because they were inspired and imagined from the help of the Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen:** **Schmuck. . . **

_**C**_oncentration: the ability to focus all thought or effort toward one particular idea, subject or task.

It seriously wasn't something hard to do. Naruto though was finding it extremely hard to concentrate on his work. He'd start sweeping, only to start thinking about how stupid he was to say such things to Sakura a few days back. Then, Iie would jump on him for staring off into space while sweeping the same spot for over fifteen minutes.

Naruto would stock the shelves with impassive vigor as his mind drifted back to how dejected his friends looked when he told them, he didn't need them. That was a lie because after he said such cold things, Naruto had felt empty and utterly alone. Again, Iie jumped on him and shouted for him to quit being a space case and get back to work.

When it came to setting up décor and advertisements for the products, they sold, well… Naruto again lost himself to his intense thoughts of how completely emotionally driven he is, and to put it quite bluntly, rash. So he stabbed that Uchiha dude, big deal. In Naruto's defense, Sasuke did strike first.

"UZUMOCHI!" Iie screeched, which caused the blond-haired man to yelp and cause the folding ladder he was on to lurch dangerously.

Naruto yelped when he crashed to the floor. The ladder clattered to the ground while burning pain shot through Naruto's right arm. Wire uncoiled as the wooden sign Naruto was supposed to hang up, cracked and broke upon hitting the floor. He glared up at Iie who only smirked down at him.

"Listen, bozo. I don't know your personal life, and quite frankly I don't want to know, but if you keep losing yourself to your little daydreams, I'm going to fire your ass, you got that Uzumucho?"

"It. Is. U-ZU-MA-KI!" he screamed, suddenly to his feet.

Iie screamed when something jabbed into his shoulders and he was lifted into the air, only for this thing to slam him to the shelves, causing shelf items to fall and clatter to the ground.

Glaring daggers at the man as he had unconsciously clenched his fist into Iie's polyester shirt, Naruto snapped, "U-Zu-Ma-Ki: say it!"

". . ."

"SAY IT!"

Iie's lips trembled, his voice utterly low as he was having problems communicating with the horrible pressure that filled the room. Killing intent… Iie was going to be sick from the sheer pressure and intensity of it. His toes were just barely grazing the ground as Naruto snarled, his eyes darkening and scowled dangerously. An inhuman growl rumbled from his chest, one that sounded a lot like a fox's gekker.

"U..Uzu…Maki." Iie managed to whimper out, tears flooding to his eyes, as he just knew he was going to die.

"What?" asked Naruto as he lifted Iie higher and knocked him into the shelf once again.

"UZUMAKI!" Iie screamed, his pants suddenly having a darkening stain seep through the grey cloth before his groin.

Letting the feeble man fall, Naruto snapped, "You're a disgrace of a man . . ."

Iie quickly skidded away, sweat beading down his face and his urine trailing on the floor. "Y-You're done, Uzumaki… Just you wait…"

Iie gasped in fear when Naruto merely cast his eyes toward the man, who then quickly scrambled away to the back room. He pushed past Buoy who merely watched the man run, and then looked back to Naruto freaked out. Miki's indifferent face now was flooded with emotion. Her eyes showed worry and anxiety, her mouth just barely open in a form of surprise and despair.

"I seriously thought you were going to kill him," muttered Miki as she quickly cast her eyes back to the register.

Naruto snorted, "Bastards not even worth the blood."

"Naruto, man… Are ya okay?" asked Buoy with his posture tense.

Allowing himself to calm down, Naruto shook his head. Ruled by his emotions… How lame of a _shinobi_ was he? He picked up the ladder and folded it up to put it away. The oncoming spring décor could go to hell as far as he cared. This life wasn't right…

It was boring.

It was lame.

It just wasn't him!

"I can't keep forcing myself to do this," stated Naruto as he coiled the wire and grew a somber look. "I can't keep being a schmuck."

"Naruto?"

He turned, his eyes widened. She was wearing running shorts and a matching tank top, sweat lightly beading down her face. Headphones hung around her neck that went to a walkman cassette player that was hung from her right hip. A very confused, ponytailed pink-haired _kunoichi_ stared at him as if perhaps he had grown two heads. Naruto checked his shoulders to make sure he hadn't.

He hadn't heard from her since… Well since he basically showed his ass a few days ago. She looked a little apprehensive… Perhaps she wasn't expecting him to be here.

"So this is it, huh?" asked Sakura with her dull eyes gazing around the unimpressive surroundings as she crossed her arms. "Your work? The thing that is more important than everything else-"

"You don't have to be so poignant about it," grumbled Naruto as he turned from her as he tossed the wire into a box. "And it's not more important, Sakura. I have to work in order to live. What don't any of you understand about that?"

"Naruto," said Sakura. "Kakashi _sensei_ could have helped you out if-"

"Nope, no that's okay." Interjected Naruto as he bent down and collected the broken sign. "He said I had to hold my own after a month, so that is what I'm doing. It's just until something better comes around. I've applied to some other places, but Zuriku-san is the only one who hired me on spot."

"Oh…" Sakura's shoulders stooped as she looked at him. "Wh-What about, you know. Being a ninja?"

"Yo," Buoy cut in as he looked between the two. He kept his eyes on Naruto as he said, "Ya never said anything about ya bein' a ninja, playa."

"That's 'cause I'm not one." Naruto groaned as he took to rubbing his temples harshly. "I haven't been one in almost ten years now. That alone qualifies me as retired-"

"Retired!?" blurted Sakura blurted. "Are you serious? You're just going to drop something you _love_ just like that? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Naruto didn't have an answer for that. _He _didn't even know what the hell he was thinking anymore. Current priorities became jumbled with past priorities. Personal thoughts and ideas he once cherished were being tested and opposed by his past dreams and honor. His liberal side clashed violently with his _shinobi_ side. It made him a liar… It made him a hypocrite, unorthodox, and wrong…

All the promises he made that were broken, promises that he made that he accomplished; his future was quickly being overrode by such powerful dreams of what he wanted to be and wanted to accomplish…

Goddamn, why couldn't anything just click together? Why couldn't he get the past his conflicting thoughts, his own conflicting ideas, and emotions and just become the person he is truly supposed to be?! What happened to his will? What happened to his desires? What did the fuck happen to him over the past ten years?

He took to looking at the floor like a lost child, unsure of what to do. His mind ached as he tried to sort through which path he wanted to take… Of which dreams he could truly follow. Sakura kept herself quiet as she set a bottle of water upon the counter. She didn't look at Naruto. After she paid, she lifted her gaze to him.

"Naruto." Her voice caused him to stiffen. Her posture fell as she said, "Just remember that I'm always here for you."

With that, she left.

* * *

Deep brown eyes were in complete concentration. Petite shoulders tense; feet effortlessly slid, shifted and moved; a small lithe form jerkily shifted into different positions upon a _tatami_ mat. She cringed when again her stomach cramped. Bright peach hair was tightly pulled into a high ponytail on the twelve-year-old's head as she continued to try and mimic the basic academy _katas_ within the scroll she was studying all while taking her mind off of her stomach pains.

The Uzumaki apartment was quiet. Momo was alone for now. Hazuki had gone out with some friends she had made and wouldn't be home until tomorrow, while Naruto had left early that morning for work. The entire apartment was her's for now, so Momo utilized the time to practice the ninja scrolls in the study. She currently was trying her best at teaching herself basic defensive stances.

Maybe she should invite Hike-kun over. He always helped her, even at school. Momo didn't even know that Tachibana Hike went to school because he was a ninja. Ninja didn't keep going to school once they entered the academy. Ninja children entered already knew the three basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but they didn't expand their studies as civilian children. Ninja children were on a completely different course in life when it came to studies and degrees to one day earn and achieve.

That was why when Momo first saw Hike in her homeroom class, she was truly confused and curious. Hike seemed to be equally surprised to see her and asked her to keep his ninja status on the down-low. How he managed to keep his _genin_ ranking secret within the civilian portion of Konoha had Momo's mind buzzing with questions, until Hike explained that _shinobi_ training took place outside of Konoha, while meetings were discreet and unknown by civilians. Over the past few years since the end of the Fourth War, civilians were completely cut off to the true nature of Konoha's ninja society. Momo loved the secrecy of it all.

Hike and she had all the same classes together, they shared the same likes and dislikes and Hike-kun was her protector when Naruto-_ni_ wasn't around. When the other kids made fun of her for not speaking and used sign language instead, Hike was there to defend her. He was currently her only friend. Her best friend. She loved his bright wicked orange hair… It was like fire sometimes, dancing on his head when the wind blew it just right. And those deep green eyes, dark like the leaves on an orange tree. The light freckles on his nose, his smile…

Momo stumbled in her steps, her cheeks burned hot, along with the rest of her form as she wondered what was wrong with her. First, the annoying cramps, now this funny warmth and … twitch… She blushed, wondering why she was feeling such things. It would get worse the more she thought about Hike-kun too.

She let out a sigh and again tried to perform the first set of _kata_. If only she could get some help, to have someone tell her if she was doing it right, and correct her if she wasn't! This wouldn't be so hard then! Momo snapped her fingers as she thought, _Hike-kun can help me learn the _kata! _He went to the Ninja Academy and already learned the basics! Duh, Momo… He'll help! Why didn't I think of that before?_

He was already helping her learn the hand seals and even told her about the five main jutsus an academy student had to know. Momo could already name them all: _bunshin no jutsu_, body switch technique, rope escape technique, cloak of invisibility technique and last but not least, _henge no jutsu_. She also knew the basics about _ninjutsu_, _genjutsu_ and _taijutsu_… Only those things weren't going to get her far…At least not in the **real** _shinobi_ world.

The academy taught more in-depth life and death skills. It was in the academy that children were taught the finer details and methods of being a _shinobi_. They taught how to hide and completely blend in with one's surroundings. Or, how to disappear in a crowd and conceal their identities. How to make and create clever traps and even uncover set traps. Interrogation methods and how to survive an interrogation, espionage, fine-tuning one's senses, strategy… There was so much more to being a ninja than what most _shinobi_ or _kunoichi_ put on.

There was so much secrecy behind it… Gosh! She loved it!

Sighing, Momo shook her head as she remembered that Hike was normally training or out on a mission on the weekends… He wouldn't be able to help her today. She stooped to only to then straighten her shoulders and reposition her feet, Momo moved into the first form once again. Jerkily she shifted into the next position as she felt a headache coming on. She must have been getting sick or something with all these weird symptoms…

"Momo-chan, what are you doing?"

The girl stiffened when she noticed her brother leaned against the wall watching her. There wasn't anger on his face, nor humor. It was a more serious and calculating visage. His eyes hinted worry as he stared at her.

"Practicing some defensive stances," signed Momo.

"Why do you want to be a _kunoichi_ so bad?" asked Naruto as he kept his position on the wall.

She didn't answer right off. Her small fist clenched tightly, as her brown eyes turned glassy.

"I want…" she began to sign. She paused and shook her head. "I _have_ to learn to protect myself! I have to become a ninja so I can help _ani _when that lady comes for me! I want to be able to at least protect myself. To protect my loved ones! I don't want anyone to get hurt… I don't want Hazuki to cry ever again… I don't want brother to get hurt for my sake! Never again…"

At this point, the girl began to sob. Tears ran freely down her face as she bitterly rubbed them away, angry at how her emotions seemed to overrule her today! She was so sick of feeling so down suddenly, and then be angry at nothing, to get weird feelings when she thought about Hike-kun and to cramp, and now her head was hurting! Why did today have to be such a bad day!

An odd sensation tickled her cheek as she managed to reduce herself to whimpers. Something grazed along her face and helped to wipe the tears away, as something else gently wrapped around her in a comforting embrace. Sweet voices whispered encouraging words, giving her strength and courage.

"Momo…" whispered Naruto with his voice on edge yet in awe.

Opening her eyes, she instantly noticed something. The potted plants in the room had completely taken over the entire study. A hanging pot of wisteria and another of sarsaparilla crept over the floors and walls, blurring the natural light and giving off a green hue with how the plants had almost completely concealed the large plane windows. Mother-in-law plants overtook their small clay pot and sprouted along the floor, huge begonias crowded another and continued to grow and in their corner as jasmine and English ivy crept over the floor and accumulated around Momo and was what felt to be embracing her. Orchids blossomed from their perches high in the beamed ceiling, lowered their bright delicate petals to the petite child, and continued to wipe the tears from her face. The study had turned into a jungle within those few seconds.

It was then that Momo noticed that it was the plants speaking to her. They were the ones comforting her and aiding her. She looked to Naruto frightened. He smiled at her, which helped to keep her calm as he maneuvered his way through the plants and vines to get to her. Instantly they began to block him. Naruto kept calm.

"Momo-chan. Think of the plants clearing. Think of them moving out of the way to give me a path." said Naruto as vines began to entwine around his legs.

Nodding, Momo closed her eyes and thought of the plants moving. She envisioned them sliding back and away from her elder brother and not harming him. She didn't want him to get hurt. She wanted the plants to clear him a path so he could get to her because she was scared. Warm hands rested on her shoulders, causing her to gasp and open her eyes.

"Good job, Momo-chan." said Naruto as he grinned down at her as she timidly smiled. "It's okay. Don't worry about the plants, all right. They're reacting to you. They are aiding to your emotions, so just calm down and everything will be fine. _Ani_ is here with you."

"Wh-why is this happening though?" Momo wearily signed, looking up at him with her glassy peach pit eyes.

He twitched his lips, his eyes showing that he was debating on how he should word what he needed to tell her. "I think it's because you've finally reached puberty."

She made a horrible cringed face as she blanched, and signed, "Puberty?! No way!"

"Momo-chan…" sighed Naruto.

He had this same talk with Hazuki when she was merely eleven. Hazuki went berserk because it was highly embarrassing to her that her brother had to talk to her about the birds and the bees, along with how a girl's body worked. Why Kenji left him to do such things, Naruto hadn't a single fucking clue, but he could do it and would do it. He just had to tell her the minor details and she'd figure out the rest as Hazuki did… However, Nayukiko was there to help Hazuki too.

Hell, he knew this day would eventually come being that Momo was twelve, almost thirteen… He was hoping Hazuki would be the one to talk to Momo about this though. Perhaps it was a good thing now that it was he, being that not only had the girl hit puberty and not realize it yet, but something else also decided to mature within Momo. Something else he really didn't want anyone else to know about. At least not yet.

He let out another sigh before he said, "Okay, I'm going to just get this over with. You're different from Hazuki, so you won't freak out as bad, but Momo-chan, you've hit the age where you're becoming a woman now. You haven't noticed but…you're bleeding. It's normal."

Momo raised one of her brows in curiosity and then began to look around herself wondering what he was talking about. She didn't feel injured-wait, what was blood doing running down her legs? Oh god… She inwardly cringed as she noticed the large spot of blood that had seeped into her shorts. When had that happened?

"Oh god," Momo signed with a damned look on her face. "It's the curse! The moon curse that Hazuki always talks about!"

Naruto nodded and mumbled, "Yeah, I guess you could call it that."

"Do I have to use those weird long diaper thingies that Hazuki has to buy?" Momo signed as she looked at Naruto curiously. "Or those thingies that she calls, tampons?"

He looked away, muttering, "Yeah, something like that…"

"How do I wear them?" she innocently signed.

"How about you go get a shower, and then we'll talk more about this subject after you get cleaned up. I'll see if Hazuki has something you can use for now. Preferably a pad." He glanced back at the entanglement of plants in the study.

"Pad?" Momo signed as she looked up at him as he led her toward the bathroom

"We'll get to that in a minute," mumbled Naruto rather dully.

First Naruto went into the bathroom while Momo gathered clean clothes. Rummaging around under the sink, he found one of Hazuki's personal stashes of maxi pads. After a very brief explanation on how to possibly use the thing, Naruto cringed when Momo began to ask him all sorts of questions that he simply didn't know the answers to. Momo was extremely curious and equally frightened. She wanted to know everything about this, period, thing.

Yes, he could _henge_ into a rather bodacious babe with perfect breast, a nice ass, and a rather succubae personality, only that was it. He didn't personally know how to work one of those tampon things, what an applicator was or even how to put a pad in place. That was treading onto actual female territory and there was no way in hell he was going to cross that rather dangerous bridge. That was simply freaky.

After a rather, dreadful moment of he and Momo trying to figure out how to place a maxi pad on a pair of practice panties, Naruto freaked out and left the girl to herself so she could shower and try to figure out how to put that thing on herself. In the meantime, Naruto decided to bite the bullet and seek out some advice, and more preferably a female to handle his outrageously curious sister. With Hazuki gone, and possibly one to get pissed if he sought her out, there was only one other person he could think of.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I did not create nor own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because they were inspired and imagined from the help of the Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen:** **Fluttering Cherry Blossoms **

_**T**_o be home was simply heaven. To smell the sweet scent of her room, to fall into her blankets and pillows and allow herself to drift away was even better than heaven. It had been a long day at the hospital.

Something unsettling happened within the walls of Konoha today. It all started when two boys came in with second-degree burns to their hands and arms the day before. They claimed it was a basic fire starting jutsu gone wrong. It wasn't unheard of and quite normal. The two boys were treated and then released.

Later that afternoon, the _genin's_ parents brought their children back when the burns had intensified and even spread up their arms, chest, and torso. Samples were taken, the burns treated and completely cleared, and then the children again were sent home. It was all basic procedure. This morning, those two genins were found dead in their beds. Their bodies found to look as if they had been smoldering throughout the night…

Nothing in the reports gave any hints or clues to what might have happened. To what the two boys might have gotten into, what they might have messed with… There was nothing to go on with how this could have happened. There weren't even any known jutsus that could cause such a thing to happen. What was worst, was this afternoon, another patient came in with the same symptoms, again another _genin_.

The child was currently being closely supervised and watched, all in hopes of keeping this child from having the same fate as her fellow _genin_. Currently it was only her left hand that was burnt. With the two boys, their hands too were burnt…

"They had to have touched something," Sakura told herself as she turned over in her bed and stared up at her lonely apartment's ceiling. "It is beginning at their hands and spreading…"

Sakura needed to sleep. Sleep was needed to keep the mind sharp in order to solve medical mysteries. Especially when it came to the children not giving any clues to what it is they might have come in contact with.

Sakura was on call for in case the girl began to deteriorate or if the rash-like burns began to spread. Sakura needed to be there so she could try and figure out what the hell was going on before another case came in… Before another innocent life was lost.

Just as her final thoughts drifted from her mind and darkness began to overcome her, a loud knock pounded on her door. She rose her head, her heart pumping. Quickly she jumped up and trotted to the door, thinking the worst. Upon opening the door, she wasn't expecting to see a rather perturbed Naruto standing there.

"I…I'm sorry for bothering you," he mumbled, unable to make eye-contact. His nervous voice intoned, "I…I need, Sakura-chan I need you to please help me."

He finally lifted his eyes to hers, which caused her to smile as she said, "Okay."

His glassy eyes scowled. "Just like that?" He questioned. "I haven't even apologized for my behavior and-"

"Naruto," Sakura sighed as she leaned on her doorframe and looked up at him with her milky jade eyes. She crossed her arms under her breast as she said, "It's okay. We both were clearly not in that good of moods that day and you are not in the best mental state right now. Everything has to be confusing for you right now and me pressuring you can't be helping. I'm sorry for how incredibly bitchy I've been. Things have just been hectic recently and I was taking my stress out on you. I shouldn't have done that. Even if I felt like you had been purposely ignoring me and I was obsessively worried, I should have never jumped on you as I had."

"No, you have every right to bitch at me," admitted Naruto as he looked at the floor, and appeared like a pouting child. "You have been nothing but extremely nice to me and I go and be such a dick toward you… Sakura, someone like you doesn't deserve to be treated like that, not even by stupid idiots pricks like me. It doesn't matter how my mentality is. I shouldn't have brought my stress from work home as I did and then use it against you. It's wrong and makes me less of a man to get into some petty argument with someone who is trying to help me… Someone who I remember to be my best friend."

He looked up at her only to capture her glistening eyes with his own. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan for being nothing but a complete dick to you today and then a few days ago I was nothing but a complete ass… Even after all the stuff I said, after how I kept trying to push you away, you're still here for me…"

"Don't worry about it, Naruto." Said Sakura softly as a smile formed on her face. "I've already forgiven you long before now."

He abruptly embraced her, holding her tightly as he uttered, "Thank you, Sakura-chan. I really don't deserve such a great friend as you." he gently held her out as he said, "And I am really sorry about everything! I didn't mean to be such a bastard to you and that Sasuke guy, and then all that shit at the training grounds. I shouldn't have said that I don't need you because let's face it Sakura… I am completely lost without you."

"It's okay," giggled Sakura as she forced him to look at her by holding his face. Her thumbs gently grazed the lines on his face and instantly he calmed down as he looked at her as if he had fallen into a trance. She let her hands slip from his face, as she asked, "Now, what do you need help with?"

He composed himself, and let out an exhale of air.

"Momo started her first period," he stated, his tone much calmer. "I had the talk with Hazuki when she first hit puberty, but she freaked out, so I didn't have to go into detail with how feminine products worked. Momo she's different. She's curious and wants me to explain everything to her, and I mean _really explain __**it**_ to the _finest _of details…"

"Oh," uttered Sakura as her eyes widened. She then smiled and giggled. "I can help you out, Naruto. Don't worry and get that freaked out look off your face. It makes you look childish."

He pouted further, only to stick his tongue out at her.

* * *

"Oh…" was Momo's far away expression as she stared at Sakura with wide brown eyes. Then the pubescent girl signed, "Naruto-_ni_ always said that babies were shipped and delivered to families by storks! He didn't say anything about girls actually-"

"Hey," Naruto mumbled, cutting the girl off. He quickly defended himself as he said, "You were young when you asked me where babies came from, and that was a good enough answer at the time."

Momo stuck her tongue out at him and crossed her arms.

Sakura giggled, and then set her tea cup down as she said, "Now for the cramps, you can either take regular medicine or you can go the herbal route. I drink lots of different herbal teas to help ease the cramps that you may or may not get. Every girl is different, so the pain and flow will be different with each person. I think you're going to be one of the more normal types, but when you come for your first 'woman checkup' we'll get a better idea. It might be a good idea to start you on birth control-"

Naruto choked on his tea, only to gasp, "What the fuck for?"

"To help regulate her periods." deadpanned Sakura deadpanned as she glanced at him. "That is all…"

"Yeah, but if you start her on that shit, she'll think it's okay to start experimenting-"

"Naruto," Sakura sighed.

"-and thinking that it's okay to just go out and suddenly start doing naughty things because she thinks she's protected and on the pill! No, fucking way! I have enough problems with Hazuki and her messed up carnal freedom she thinks she has ever since she's been on the pill at fifteen! No! No fucking way, I don't want Momo getting any ideas!"

Sakura laughed lightly at his deep frown and rather angry expression. Momo had covered her face that had become red with embarrassment. Of all the things… She was only twelve for cripes sake!

"_Ani_," mumbled Momo which instantly had Naruto attention on her. She signed, "You can be way too over protective sometimes… I'm not too thrilled about doing some pill thing anyway. Today has been really…weird and draining. I'm tired. Can I just go to bed now?"

Naruto nodded as he let his anger recede and his pout fall away. He signed. "Yeah… It's best if you did. We have to get up early in the morning if you want to start training with me before you go to school."

"Training?" Momo signed as she looked bewildered. "Training for what?"

"To be a ninja." signed Naruto which caused Sakura to look at him oddly. He kept to the Momo's makeshift sign language as he continued. "If you really want to-"

She nodded vigorously, quickly signing, "Yes! Yes more than anything, Naruto-_ni_!"

Smiling, Naruto said, "Good. Cross-country training begins tomorrow morning. I'll have you running a mile within seven minutes flat! A fifteen-mile marathon within in an hour and a half!"

Momo nodded, understanding that he was wanting to keep the ninja training secret. That would be the code word: cross-country running. She smiled and quickly shot up from the couch. Bowing before Sakura, Momo then went and hugged Naruto.

"G-Gooood nni… Nnnight…" Momo managed to utter.

She then happily smiled and skipped to her room. Sakura tiredly rubbed her forehead, as she leaned back on the sofa. She should have been in bed hours ago, only Naruto was true to his word when he claimed that Momo wanted to know every detail when it came to her first menstrual cycle. Why did only women bleed? What were tampons made of? Why should she wait to wear tampons? Was a sanitary napkin really sanitary? And the list of this child's questions could go on and on…

"You can crash here tonight if you want," said Naruto as he busied himself by picking up the slight mess in the living room. He glanced at her and said, "You look half-dead, Sakura-chan. You can take my bed and I'll sleep out here-"

"What, no way. I'm not taking your-"

"You will if I tell you too," stated Naruto as he scowled at her with a smirk on his face. "As a guest within another's home, it is polite to abide by their rules and wishes. Especially when it comes to politics. You never object the host demands. I wish for you to take my bed, Sakura-chan… Besides… It's not like I have coodies or something. And believe it or not, my sheets are clean-"

"Fine, fine…" chortled Sakura. She shook her head and laughed, "You can be so childish sometimes."

"That's what Hazuki is always telling me," said Naruto with a light smile on his face. "She's kind of taken the roll of the mother over the past few years. She takes care of Momo and me when we forget to take care of ourselves. She can be a real bitch though if you make her mad…Has a temper that one. Feel sorry for her future boyfriends…and husband."

"You really look out for them and love them, don't you?" asked Sakura as she dropped fresh tea leaves into her cup, and then poured the steaming water upon it. "The three of you are close… It's odd to me. I have to get to know you all over again…"

She stared at the tea as she let it brew. Jasmine petals floated to the top as the tea began to tinge a faint yellowish-green.

"Well?" said Naruto as he sat down next to her. "What do you want to know?"

Sakura looked at him, as he looked at her. He smiled a smile that warmed her heart and reminded her of the boy she once knew.

"Everything," replied Sakura causing his smile to widen.

It first began with Sakura discovering more about Naruto's connection and bond with his sisters. He even brought out a few picture books… Naruto was really into pictures. He explained that he didn't have any pictures before the incident when he was sixteen. He didn't even know what the impulse was about. He just wanted pictures… Physical representations that he could look at and reminisce on anytime he wanted to. It could have had to do with what was done to his mind, or it could have just been an impulse from a rather lonely and family-less childhood.

Eventually, it blended into Sakura's family outings and experiences from her childhood. As an only child, she admitted that she was quite the spoil type of child who was accustomed to getting what she wanted. That she had her daddy twisted around her finger, that she was the twinkle in her mother's eyes… Their future lawyer though suddenly wanted to join a friend who was going to the ninja academy. Sakura begged and begged until they signed her up.

Then their talk switched back to Naruto's past when he went on about the nonsense civilian schools taught. The outrageous math formulas that most of the percentage of the students would never use again, the in-depth history lessons of other countries that most _shinobi_ didn't even know existed, how the economy worked, world governments and even other wars that had been fought. Then there were the lessons on how the earth worked, plate tectonics, natural phenomenon, weather systems, atoms, molecules…. It all brought on the things that Sakura's remembered from the academy days of what their lessons consisted of. Espionage, cunning, proper defense, and strategic offensives. Weapon control, jutsu studies…. In turn, their memories began to sync, and Naruto's memory became sharper than ever.

They'd laugh about pranks he pulled, remembered how Iruka could make his head expand and his voice able to bust ear drums. How Naruto skipped class with Kiba and Shikamaru, how Sakura and Ino constantly fought over who was going to win Sasuke-kun's heart…Well, Naruto still didn't remember that Sasuke guy, but that didn't really matter to Naruto for the moment.

He started recalling events that went beyond the academy days, that passed the dysfunctional _chuunin_ exam they took and progressed beyond his three-year training with his Godfather, Jiraiya, one of the legendary _Sannin_. With Sakura there, talking with him as his closest friend, his memories were more acceptable and extremely clearer and easier to understand. He remembered more by simply talking to her and comparing their memories together… And, it seemed that the more they talked, the closer they came to each other.

"I've been thinking, Sakura-chan," said Naruto as he looked up at the ceiling. "I think there is something wrong with me because when I use chakra, God… It makes me feel so high, and I want to stay in that high. It's like I'm falling back into a bad addiction, yeh know? Is that normal?"

Sakura giggled at his response, and seriously said, "That is typical. It's like when a smoker who has quit for a long period of time takes a hit of a cigarette. The nicotine makes their nerves tingle and instantly calms the nervous system for a short period of time. It's only because you haven't used your chakra in so long that when you do, your body reacts as it does because your nerves are having to re-adjust to the chakra. The more you mold your chakra, the more your body will grow to the effects of your chakra."

"So, you are saying that I'm like some smoker who quit, but is starting back up smoking?" smirked Naruto.

"Yeah, something like that." Sakura shrugged. "I figured I'd say it like that so you'd understand."

"I've noticed that," Naruto chortled, causing her to quickly look at him. "I'm not as dense as I used to be, Sakura-chan. Usually, I can understand what people are trying to say to me now . . . But, the dummed down answers are nostalgic…I can't believe how much of a numbskull I used to be. Damn what was wrong with me?"

"ADHD," Sakura blurted, causing him to look at her with a brow rose.

"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?" he asked perplexed. "Na-uh. No way!"

Sakura nodded and playfully said, "Denial is the first sign of a true problem."

"There is no way in hell that I have ADHD." argued Naruto as he sat up and watched her. "Yeah, I was one hell of a hyper kid, but come on, Sakura-chan! I had so much stamina that I didn't even know what to do with it! And it wasn't like I couldn't concentrate on one thing! It's not like I would be talking about something and suddenly blurt, "Oh look! A squirrel!" right in the middle of my sentence!"

She laughed. It felt so nice to hear her laugh. To see her smile so brightly and look so happy . . . It made his insides shiver. She turned to him, smiling so happily. He wasn't expecting her to glom him in a tight embrace.

"Sakura-chan?" he mumbled puzzled as she giggled and hid her face in the crook of his neck.

She had no idea the reaction she was getting out of the sunny haired blond by breathing down his neck, nor could she see the bright red his cheeks flushed. How her perky breast pressed onto his chest caused him to shiver, how her perfect rear looked so exotic in that position . . .

"I've missed you, Naruto…" she whined as she held back her tears as she tightened her arms around him and felt his arms snake around her. "I'm scared, Naruto. I don't want you to just vanish again… In a blink of my eyes, you were gone. You… left me. First Sasuke and then you…and I'm scared that's going to happen again, Naruto. I don't want you to vanish again. I don't want you to leave me again…"

"I won't." mumbled Naruto as he pulled her closer to where she straddled him. He forced her to look him in the eyes as he said, "I promise you, Sakura-chan. I don't go back on my word. That is my nindo."

She lightly smiled and hid her face upon his chest. She took to taking in his scent. His smell… It was seductively arousing and didn't even hint any deodorant or soapy smells. It was simply natural. Musky, manly and earthy… Gods this boy never smelled, even when he forgot his deodorant in the past, his body odor never stunk. No, his body odor was simply amazing. Even back then when they were mere _genin_, his natural scent pushed buttons within Sakura and now with them being much older… It pulled on strings so deep within Sakura that it erupted carnal instincts that almost made her crazed. She could smell him all day long…

"Sakura-chan…" uttered Naruto, "I haven't really had a shower and I know I have to smell…"

"I love your smell," she admitted as she lifted her face to where it was mere inches from his.

Her soul reflected in her eyes as she stared at him, and she was drawn in by his eyes. Those transcending pools of liquid sapphire… Lapis Lazuli… her hands found his face and automatically her thumbs began to graze the markings on his face.

"Sakura…"

"Shh," she cooed and placed one of her fingers on his lips.

She wanted to say more, but truthfully, she was scared. After their long talk, after feeling like she knew him once again, she was still too scared to honestly say, I love you. They were very close… She could feel him, touch him and she knew he was physically there. Right there at her fingertips, the boy - now man that she had fallen for and lost… They were so close…

Close enough that her body heat mingled with his seemed to be combusting into such heat that it was going to catch fire. Her eyes had become glistening jewels that revealed everything she wanted from him. Her aura expelled her desire, her want and need… It was enough to drive a man mad. He watched her, allowing her to trail her delicate fingers along the lines of his face, the nervousness clearly visible in her movements.

How her fingers shivered upon touching his skin, how her arms jerked in anticipation and anxiety… Naruto took her wrist in his hands and pulled her hands down from his face. He allowed his fingers to trace the skin of her arms, causing her to inhale a gasp. Goosebumps instantly rose on her skin and her entire body shook in a fierce shiver.

Her entire outlook turned severely innocent. This gorgeous woman. This girl that in his memories he had chased after so long… The girl of his dreams… This woman, Haruno Sakura, had never been touched by a man in such ways before. The faint blush on her face, how her body timidly shook… It both frightened and aroused him. Gods… The things he could do to her, the things that he could make her feel…

"I'm sorry, I keep shivering…" whispered Sakura as she closed her eyes and trying to control herself. "It's not like…"

"You haven't done this before." Naruto intoned.

She hyperventilated. "It's that obvious…"

Naruto smiled at her as she couldn't bear to look at him in such a weakened state, she was reduced to nothing more than shivers and extreme embarrassment for being celibate. It wasn't that Sakura didn't want to go out and have fun like everyone else, it was just she had more priorities at the time to take care of. Searching for Naruto took up most of those celibate years, along with her couple years in the psychiatric ward. After those troubling times, Sakura just didn't feel inclined to seek someone out to just get laid, even though Ino told her that she should have… and we see now where that landed Ino.

He chuckled and let out a sigh as he ran his fingers through her bangs and tucked them behind her ears. She looked up at him, only for her eyes to widen when he moved. Warm lips pressed onto her forehead in a soft kiss, which caused her insides to flutter rapidly.

"I have always wanted to do that." Naruto happily said. He smiled brightly in his victory. "To kiss your forehead, yep, that was a secret dream of mine when I was like seven or eight. Damn, took me eighteen years to finally accomplish that dream!"

She punched him lightly and giggled, allowing herself to fall back into his embrace as he laughed with her. How he could turn such a heated and completely ecstatic moment into complete fluff and mush, was beyond Sakura but, she was glad.

She sighed, and muttered, "_Baka_…"

"But I'm your idiot." Naruto said, holding her tightly against him as she giggled. "If you want me to be."

She rose and looked him with a sideways glace as she asked, "Are you asking me out, Naruto?"

"No. I'm asking you to be my girlfriend. I never once said anything about going out." he teased, receiving a light hit on his shoulder once again. She was smiling though so he continued to banter. "I mean if you want to be seen in public with me, then I guess we could go out and do all that mushy boyfriend/girlfriend stuff that you females are so inclined to do that involves, holding hands, me buying you stuff, taking you to nice places, me fighting for your honor, slaying dragons, being romantic… You know, basic dating rituals."

"Slaying dragons?" Sakura wondered aloud.

"Well yeah," Naruto said in a matter of fact tone. "All princesses have to be rescued by dragons. You are a _hime_, to me after all. You always have been, Sakura-chan."

She nodded, and said, "This is the romantic part, isn't it."

He cheekily smiled and asked, "Is it working?"

"Baka." giggled Sakura as her cheeks flushed as she took to hiding her face upon his chest. She mumbled embarrassedly, "_Hai_."

Naruto lightly chuckled as he held her to him as he smelt her hair. Hmm… It smelt of freesia mixed with the slight odor of antiseptics… That had to be from the hospital.

She grew still and relaxed in his arms after a few minutes. Naruto decided to place the sleeping woman in his bed. He couldn't hold her all night…though, he really wanted to. As he placed her into the bed and covered her up, he noticed that the clock on his nightstand read, two forty-two AM. He let out a sigh. He turned when there was a tapping from the front room.

Cautiously he looked out the hall to see nothing. The kitchen was empty too. He stalked into the living room, only to see nothing but how he left the area a moment before. A warm breeze cascaded into the room and instantly Naruto turned to the sliding glass doors. They were open, the curtains billowing into the apartment with the fading March air.

He quickly searched the house, only to come up with nothing. There were no intruders; Sakura still slept soundly, along with Momo… So what opened the doors? He went to close the glass doors, only to then notice something. Upon the balcony sat a small potted plant. It was something exotic looking, a small stemmed flower covered with fuzz with lancet-shaped leaves that had a sage-like texture. A blooming flower of a violent orangey-red sat solitary on top. As Naruto knelt down, the bloom began to slowly open.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer**: I did not create nor own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because they were inspired and imagined from the help of the Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen:** **. . . Inhale **

_**A**_t night, swamplands significantly change from what they emit during the light of day. The quiet tranquility turned into a natural haunting when the light of the sun seeped away. Perhaps that is why she preferred the darkness over the light of the swamps. The darkness really brought out the ghastly glow of her minions' eyes. She could see them as they stood encircling her, watching her from the shadows, waiting…

"It will be soon." cooed the priestess as she stroked the scales of the large snake entangled around her throne. "We just have to draw them out, yes. You see, right now they are proud and ignorant. They think they are impervious. That nothing can get past their defenses, but they are wrong."

The demented priestess kept her perch upon her tangled throne of vines and trees. Her black fingernails steadily tapped on the skull of her brother, her brown red-hazed eyes scanned over her kingdom, as a wicked smile on her painted lips broadened.

"We just have to wait for the right moment. When Konoha begins to panic, when they build their defenses, then we'll get them. Right now I'm stirring them up a bit. I'm letting them know how weak and defenseless they have really grown to be. Ku, ku, ku…" ranted Kikiyo as she turned to a growing vine. It began to spread leaves and bud. She gently prodded one of the opening flowers as she said, "How easy it will be to destroy them. To poison their own chakra…ku, ku… If all goes well, we'll only have to deal with a little under half of the original ninja ranks when we do invade on the night of the Blue Moon."

A large shadowed figure lumbered up the path of slippery roots and vines. The bone armor it wore clanked as it approached the priestess who grew apprehensive. She shifted her position, cramming her brother's skull onto the head of her staff.

"My mistress," a deep gravelly voice said.

Kikiyo rose from her place, her eyes glinting in the faint light as she uttered, "Tengu…"

Tengu was a massive man with gray black splotched skin. His right arm was missing to his elbow, in its place was a thick silver sickle sword with runic engravings in the blade that extended from his appendage. Black raven feathers swayed on his helm, while tails of various creatures dangled around his neck and down his back as decor. The corpse-like man bowed and then knelt before Kikiyo as the large anaconda slithered before her.

The man shifted his head up, exposing the beak of his helm as he growled, "It has begun, my lady."

"And of the other project?" she questioned. "Has it been captured?"

"Successfully," Tengu responded. "The beast is being prepared as we speak, my mistress."

"Good, good!" She smiled and grinned insanely as she said, "It's all happening. Everything will soon fall into place, but, I wonder… how many will have to die in order for us to drug the right one…" She turned and slowly paced. She gazed at her brother's skull as she ranted, "Only that man will be able to withstand the poison. Anyone else who comes in contact with my precious flowers will burn from the inside out by their own chakra, except for that man… If it enters his system, it will destroy everything that has Kenjima's chakra imprinted on it. That will take care of that nasty trigger he made. Such devastating chakra that nine-tailed _jinchuriki_ possesses, ku, ku…"

Tengu hissed his response.

"Yes…" Kikiyo drawled, as she twirled and then plopped into the seat of her throne. Fiddling with the jaw of the skull, she uttered, "The poison will be like an antidote actually. Any remaining locked doors will be opened, blissful dreams and hellacious nightmares will be revealed, hidden objectives realized, repressed memories exposed… It will fully release that man's mind. It will destroy him in many different ways, but, it may be well worth it."

Kikiyo lifted her palm just as the head of a chartreuse green tree boa slid upon it.

"Yes… everything is falling into place." the priestess hummed as the snake flickered its forked tongue at her. Gazing into the snake's elliptical eyes, she murmured, "Soon, they both will be mine."

* * *

It continued to bloom as a soft glow emitted from its core. Music drifted to his ears unlike any he had ever heard as the world around him melted away into a valley of peace, tranquility, and beauty. All the conflict he felt vanished while the only thing he even thought about was the amazing flower that sat before him. It was so beautiful . . . and it was blooming just for him! The bloom continued to open as he dropped to his knees before it and stared.

Golden partials expelled and danced around the fiery petals dotted with bright yellow and muddy brown specks. The light breeze caused the pollen to filter into the air and Naruto breathed it in. It smelt wonderful and drew him in, closer to the unknown flower.

Naruto suddenly wanted to touch the flower. He _had _to touch its lovely petals because it _wanted_ him to touch it. He extended his hand toward the flower. The petals shifted toward his fingers wanting his touch, _needing _his touch. They moved toward his approaching fingers shortening their distance. His hand moved closer with his fingers extended–

"**Don't touch it.**"

–he jerked back his hand and snapped from his trance. He looked around, swearing that the nine-tails was right behind him or next to him with how close its voice sounded. That its snout was just over his shoulder, its rancid breath hot against his skin…

Clearly, the _kyuubi_ wasn't behind him, nor was it out of the seal. However, it caused Naruto to wonder why he was on the balcony. Wasn't he just inside the apartment? Had he not just placed Sakura into his bed? He looked down at the small potted flower. Then, he remembered. Naruto quickly stood and backed away from it.

Naruto freaked out a little over both the hypnotizing flower and having the nine-tailed fox's thunderous voice enter his thoughts. If Naruto remembered right, the fox _never _directly spoke to him in his thoughts. At least he didn't think it did. Or did it? Naruto always had to travel beyond his mindscape into his chakra coils down into the depths of the seal in order to communicate with the bastard fox. And as for the flower… Naruto had no idea what was going on with it, only that it was clearly not an ordinary flower.

_Why? _Naruto thought, hoping the kyuubi would answer him.

There was a deep gravelly chuckle that vibrated within Naruto's mind. He shivered, feeling the nine-tails as if it were standing right behind him.

"**I wanted," **Kyuubi drawled menacingly**, "to see how you reacted to my voice in this state."**

Naruto refrained from chattering his teeth as he said, "Explain."

"**What is there to explain, dummy**?" the nine-tails questioned sardonically. "**I just kept you from touching a flower**… **a simple flower**… **ku, ku.**"

He looked back to the flower, finding that it had closed and had lost its glow. Pollen no longer danced within the air nor did any music float to his ears. Simple flower Naruto's ass…

"So it was all an illusion." he said, disappointed by how he was so easily transfixed. Naruto's eyes widened as he wondered, _Why did you help me?_

"**You amuse me**…" Kyubbi growled, "**And, ****I **_**did not**_ **help you**. **I helped my self.**"

If that was the case, then why? Why did the nine-tails not want him to touch the flower? What would happen if he did? Where did the flower come from anyway? Who left it on his balcony? Naruto's blue eyes widened only to scowl menacingly as one name came to mind…

Kikiyo.

Momo shared Kikiyo's ability. They could control and communicate with nature: an extremely rare bloodline limit born only to Kikiyo and Momo's genetics. The flower might have been part of Kikiyo's jutsu and possibly highly dangerous.

"Fuck," Naruto cursed as he began to pace and forgot about the fox momentarily.

They weren't even ready for that demented priestess yet! What the hell was he going to do if she showed up now? He hadn't trained at all! Naruto wasn't even sure if he could still do the jutsus he once used. Hell, using chakra was so euphoric and seemed to place him into some type of genocide mode against ninja! There was no way he would be able to stand up to Kikiyo, or even confront Kenji right now.

Not in the pathetic condition he was in…

He glanced at the flower. It _had _to be one of Kikiyo's, only what was the flower's purpose? Naruto thought about what the _kyuubi_ warned him not to do. _Don't touch it, _Naruto thought, glaring at the flower. What would happen if he touched it?

Naruto looked at his hand, rubbing his fingers together as he mumbled, "If I could only touch it without–"

His eyes widened as a thought occurred to him. He _could _touch the flower and not be directly affected by it at all. Naruto channeled his chakra and had to overcome the slight amp of bliss that flowed throughout him. After he shuddered and shook the bliss off, he now had to coax himself into actually doing it.

"I can do this." said Naruto as he tried to believe it himself. "I've done it thousands of times…"

Letting his memories guide him, Naruto shifted his hands. His fingers automatically moved into the steeple position, his chakra flared triumphantly and expelled as Naruto intoned, "_Kage bunshin no_ jutsu."

There was a soft, pom sound, followed with smoke. It cleared, revealing an exact copy, a perfect shadow clone.

"Dude, it's been a while." stated the clone as it crossed its arms and glared at Naruto.

Naruto shrugged. "Sorry. I've been…" he shrugged again. "doing other things."

The clone looked Naruto up and down, only to mutter, "Yeah, I can tell. You've turned me into a complete wussy you douche bag!"

Naruto merely pouted, "Whatever. Just touch the damn flower."

"Fuck you." the clone deadpanned. "If clones can transfer sage chakra to you, then don't you think that we can transfer whatever this flower does to you, especially if it affects your chakra?"

"I've never thought of that," grumbled Naruto as he scowled. "I can't believe I overlooked that possibility."

"Well…you did always think better when there was more than one of you to help." the clone mumbled with a shrug.

Pain throbbed in his head. Naruto hissed as he slapped his hand to his left temple. Screams reverberated throughout his mind, flashes of passing trees, spatters of blood… bright blinding energy vibrating with the sound of a thousand birds… With the heartbeat it came, within the next beat, it was all gone. No pain, no fear, no nightmarish memories flooding his senses . . .

"What the hell was that," Naruto asked as he placed his hand on his beating heart that felt slightly compressed.

The clone was perturbed as it murmured, "I'm… not sure." It shook its head and said, "Let's get back on track, boss. The flower… what we need is a test subject of some kind. Like a lab rat or something."

"Or a jutsu." said Naruto still shaken. "I remember when I was with Jiraiya, we were heading out to go find a replacement Hokage when those Akatsuki guys came after me."

Bright white chakra and chirping birds invaded the memory again. The memory Naruto remembered suddenly altered, coming into such clear focus as he found himself watching a young Sasuke who stood at the end of the hotel's hallway, Chidori in hand and his face angry sad and hate-filled. Then, the memory faded as Naruto again felt something constrict around his heart.

"Yeah," said the clone nervously as he rubbed his own head. "Ero-sannin used some type of scroll, or a seal to capture some of that black fire to take back to Konoha to study. Is that what you're implying? To use some type of seal to figure out what the flower is all about? Why do that when we're in Konoha now? Let's just take the flower to Kakashi to deal with and figure out what's up with it?"

"Yeah, but what if he thinks we're trying to prank him or something?" inquired Naruto as he became preoccupied with the pain that was growing in his head.

"Kakashi-sensei won't think that. Especially if he falls under the flower's spell. He's supposed to be a Kage, right. He shouldn't fall into its trap and he'll realize that you're not trying to prank–"

The clone dematerialized instantaneously when a thunderous amount of pressure hit Naruto. It felt as if his head were splitting wide open from the inside out. He collapsed to his knees, unable to even groan due to the pain and sudden numbness that overcame him. He grasped at his heart as it thudded painstakingly and tried to beat within the sudden vice closing around it. Lungs failed to retain air as the room closed in on him…

Laughter echoed around him, only from who or what, Naruto wasn't sure. He found himself within his mindscape that was still and unmoving: calm before the storm. Everything had become a murky gray. Instead of black snow, gray blotches fell onto his gray world of faded colors and developing scenery. He was in his inverted Konoha again.

Something was in Naruto's hand and he lifted it to see what it was. Like a pendulum, it swung, dangling from his hand as Naruto watched it curiously. Left to right. Left to right… A constant motion that was slow, calm and hypnotizing. It was a crystal pendant of a viridian tinge sided with silver beads on a black leather cord. There was something significant about this necklace…

It swung slowly, intimidating him. It was important. The crystal would catch the light just right and momentarily blind him. It was at one of these moments, a memory would flash before his eyes.

… "_I've been one of the three legendary ninja. I don't even have to be serious to fight this little ninja boy." she held up her hand, emphasizing on her index finger as she snorted, "One finger should be enough." _…

The glistening light faded and the pendant returned, glowing hauntingly in the darkness. It held a moonlit glow that seemed supernatural almost as it swung back to the right. The light again emitted and another vision came.

… "_I'll give you one week. If you can master that jutsu, I'll acknowledge that you could become Hokage. I'll give you this necklace," she wagered, standing over him as she smirked … _

That very necklace appeared within his sight again. Back to the left the crystal swung and the glint of light faded. The glow palpitated, only to again emit a bright blinding glow.

… _again, she had snatched his headband off. The straw-blonde's finger posed to conduct pain, only when he shut his eyes tightly, the woman done something completely unexpected. When Naruto opened his eyes, Tsunade's red-painted lips pressed onto his forehead in a soft kiss _…

The light faded and the pendant altered in its arch to the left. It teetered on its cord, beginning to slow as the pulsing glow grew once more.

… "_Hey! Hey, this one is losing it!" one of Naruto's clones shouted, as one of his fellow clones began to emit red chakra. Before Naruto even realized what was going on, Yamato performed the required seals and bound the real Naruto before he too began to absorb the kyuubi's chakra and change as well_…

The pendant rocked on the cord as something obstructed its swing.

…"_Naruto," uttered Tsunade as her _genjutsu _long worn off as she had trouble standing. _

"_Go sit down, baa-chan and have some tea. I'll take care of this." said Naruto while he stared Pein down. …_

As the necklace of death came to a stop a fracture began from the bottom and worked its way up the dulling shard of crystal.

"_Hinata! What're you doing here? Get of her here! You're no match–"_

"_I know," intoned Hinata as she stood before Naruto as Pein merely glared. "I'm… just being selfish, and here of my own free will. I used to always cry and give up… I nearly went the wrong way… But you showed me the right way… I was always chasing you, wanting to overtake you… I just wanted to walk with you, to be with you… You changed me. Your smile saved me, so I'm not afraid to die protecting you, because I love you!_

_She attacked, only for Pein to strike her down and then kill her…_

Such rage engulfed Naruto as fire coursed throughout him. It hurt. It hurt so much! The necklace wasn't only something valuable, it was also a binding. It was a way to keep the nine-tailed fox under control when Naruto's emotions got the best of him.

Another memory seeped its way into his mind, one of him transforming. It was a memory of when Naruto forgot about the lives of those around him, about how he was supposed to protect Konoha and foolishly ignored it all due to his rage upon seeing Pein murder Hinata. He wanted Pein to pay… he wanted to rip that murderer apart, not only for Hinata but for Jiraiya, too.

Cracks formed and chips broke away from the crystal, until the pendant shattered when coming to a complete stop. Naruto had shattered that pendant long ago with his own hand.

"What have I done?"

As if to answer him, a deep rumbling laugh filled the area. "**That's the question, huh runt…**"

Soundlessly it moved past his left and Naruto turned toward the blur. Scarlet eyes glistened as towering trees creaked and groaned before falling to the gray snow. Naruto quickly moved. He lept away as the large claw lined paw destroyed the building he sat upon. Glowing evilly, scowled cruelly those eyes of the nine-tailed fox hinted sadistic intent and promised misery and pain.

"**Ku, ku, ku… . This is actually fun!**"

Everything around Naruto changed, appearing of nothing but pure gore. Corpses littered the ground of a once proud village burned hellishly into the night. Screams of those tortured rang loudly before silenced with death. Groans came from those who died painful, slow deaths.

"Stop it." ordered Naruto as he clenched his fist.

Blood fell as rain, body parts strewn about as imps and demons began to pick through the carrion and feast. It began to spin around him as Naruto heard the innocent scream in pain, feel the blood soak him and watch as more and more people were killed…

Killed by his own hands.

"I SAID STOP!" screamed Naruto as he closed his eyes tightly as he clenched his hair.

A cold metaphysical wind blew that caressed his cheeks as he found himself back in his gray depressing mind. He wasn't alone though. As he stood upon the snow-packed ground, Naruto looked up at the great beast of the _kyuubi no kitsune _itself, free of its imprisonment.

"**I wanted to do this so bad back then.**"

"Why are you in my mind?" asked Naruto.

"**Why are you in mine?**" The nine-tails inquired.

Naruto's eyes widened, "What?"

**"This is starting to get boring."** the _kyuubi no kitsune_ taunted. **"Naruto, don't you remember?"**

A horrible roar echoed as the world rushed around them at light speed. The scenery changed so abruptly Naruto felt nauseous. They were within the depths of the seal and no longer within Naruto's mind. Yeah, he remembered alright . . .

"I have shouldered the burden of you all of my life, fox. Because of you, I was denied a family and only saw as you. I am _not_ you. I do not _need_ you. You are _nothing_. Do you understand that? _**You. Are. Nothing**_." stated Naruto as his eyes burned into those of the kyuubi's. "You are nothing but hate . . ."

The nine tailed fox growled, yet made no attempts to move from its position. It blinked and looked away as it grumbled, "**Yeah, yeah. Can we skip this and get back to the regularly scheduled program?**" It smiled wildly as it looked back to Naruto and hissed, "**I was sleeping peacefully mind you, for a long while before you decided to wake me up, ya know****.**"

"I'm not scared of you, fox." said Naruto bluntly as he kept his eyes on that of the kyuubi's. "You will never break free from here. Even if the seal does fail, I won't let you free. Face it. You will never be free again."

"**Yeah, yeah, I already came to terms with that long ago,**" said the nine-tailed fox. "**You need to remember that I choose to be here though, brat****. No matter how much you want to deny it right now, you depend on me. Me, nothing? Keep deluding yourself, Naruto. You'll see. In the end, you'll come before me and beg for my power. Especially when you remember why you never wanted to come back to this cesspool, to begin with. Why you begged Kenjima to erase your memories. To make all the pain go away…**"

"What are you talking about?" asked Naruto.

"**You know what I'm talking about.**" the nine-tails taunted with its ivory smile twisted into a frown. "**I have been with you ever since your birth, Naruto. Though I may be within you and I am my own being, I am still apart of you. I have lived out these last twenty-some-odd years, **_**as**_ **you. I have seen your trials, been with you through your errors, and I have even watched you triumph when everything seemed impossible . . . Just remember that, Naruto. Remember that you are not the only one who has suffered. Remember that I was not the only one who was once filled with nothing but hate and loathing. Remember, that I am here for you.**"

The nine-tails merely growled as the darkness of the seal fully consumed its huge form. A pain began to thud slowly in Naruto's chest and matched his heartbeat. A horrible chill ran down his spine as his stomach turned.

New foreign energy rose within the area as the _kyuubi_ murmured, "**It comes**…"

Water rushed upon Naruto's ankles and rose quickly as he turned toward the depths of the chakra coil. Something rushed toward them. Golden chakra in the form of millions of partials swirled from the darkness of the coil and danced within the area like the pollen of the flower. It was magical almost, but Naruto grew defensive knowing that there was nothing magical about the energy. The partials spanned out and quickly filled the depths of the chamber and penetrated the walls around them like a parasite.

"What's going on?" asked Naruto as the temperature rose.

From within the seal, the _kyuubi_ sighed, "**It starts.**"


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer**: I did not create Naruto nor do I own it, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because I imagined them from the inspiration of Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen:** **This isn't Happening**

"_**W**_ait, what are you talking about!" Naruto asked the nine-tails as it sulked deeper into the seal "What is starting?"

The fox snickered, "**Ku, ku, ku . . . It is as I said, boy, merely moments ago…"**

"What?" spat Naruto anxiously. "What are you going on about, _kitsune_!"

The nine-tails merely laughed and turned away from Naruto, refusing to answer him. Particles drifted away from the main current of gold chakra and like ash floated past the bars of the nine-tailed fox. Naruto could see the chakra creature's massive form due to the glow of the specks congregated within. Scarlet eyes watched the particles as the great fox gekkered at them threateningly. The fox pressed itself farther against the wall to keep the golden specks from touching it. When one small speck landed upon the nine-tails scarlet fur, it immediately began to glow. A soft bell chimed, the glow expanded and then imploded. The _kyuubi_ roared as it crashed into the iron bars. Water clapped against the walls of the pipe-like enclosure as Naruto shielded his face from the growing current.

The heat intensified as more of the golden specks congregated within the seal. As if on command, the particles suddenly attacked everything upon which they landed. Implosions erupted all around, bells chimed, and the nine-tailed fox roared in pain and anger. It swept its tails against the gate, causing it to rattle and shift. The ground began to shiver and grew into a tremble until it shifted into hard jerking shakes as Naruto let out a gasp. He almost lost his footing as the metaphysical waters grew choppy and churned relentlessly from his own anxiety. Naruto found it harder to breathe. He didn't have any idea what was happening.

A wave of water slammed into Naruto. He found himself beneath the dark waters, tumbling with the current. Air bubbled from his lungs when his stomach collided with a large bar of the seal's gate. He followed the bar up, or at least Naruto hoped it was up. His body floated that way unless he was drifting downward. He could see the fox as it stared at him with its glowing scarlet eyes, unaffected by the sudden surge of chakra.

A torrent caught Naruto and pulled at him. Naruto clasped the bar, feeling his fingers slip.

_Help me, _Naruto thought as he stared at the fox.

The nine-tailed fox smirked, "**I thought you didn't need me**…" It began to laugh as the current picked up. "**I am nothing, remember**…" Eventually, the water won and dragged Naruto away as he stared wide-eyed at the shrinking fox as it said, "**Apparently you've become nothing more than a figment of what my friend used to really be. Sorry, Naruto . . . figure this out on your own, brat.**"

Then, the red hue vanished completely and left only pitch-black darkness to surround him. Golden specks swirled around the eddy like florescent diatoms drifting along with the natural current. Voices began to resonate. Like serpents, black tendrils began to coil around his arms and legs, encompassing his torso. Tendrils shifted and morphed, becoming chains that kept him bound as pain erupted throughout him. Angry words, flashes of light, chirping birds, crimson eyes ringed with those comma-like dots… Like a flood, dark memories painfully exposed themselves. Memories that revolved around one person that caused Naruto the most pain in his entire existence…

Uchiha Sasuke.

* * *

Mmm . . .

A wonderful scent surrounded her. It smelt of Naruto. Of his natural musky male scent that caused her insides to shiver and fill with warmth. Such a carnal predatory urge filled her, causing her inner-self to intone, _I dare any bitch to try to steal him away… I dare them… They will __**pay**_**, **_cha! _

It pushed the pink-haired _kunoichi_'s subconscious into one of the wildest dreams she had ever dreamed. She was a warrior princess dressed in little to nothing with armor, and she carried one big ass sword. Yeah, she looked really wicked… She was fighting her way through hoards of females trying to steal away her treasure, trying to steal away Naruto. Sakura would rescue him and take out as many bitches in the process!

"_Shannaro_," she murmured softly in her sleep.

Too soon, something interrupted Sakura's dream.

"Sakura! Sakura, wake up!" Something shook Sakura's shoulder.

Sakura whined and snuggled into the soft pillows and tightened the blanket around her as she continued to dream. Her dream altered. There were no longer any concubines trying to seduce Naruto away. There was nothing but spinning darkness, blotted with golden stars. He was within the vortex, eyes closed and such a depressing aura expelling from him.

"I'll always be here with you…" said Sakura. "Let me protect you… Let me be the one to save you…"

He needed saving, not from the darkness, nor from any enemies. No, Naruto needed saving from himself. From the depths of darkness, he called out to her. He reached for her as the darkness tried to keep him subdued and out of her reach. She wasn't going to fail him.

_I will save you! _

"Sakura-san," a soft voice calmly said. Again, something shook her shoulder, and the voice repeated her name.

She was so sleepy! "Just five more minutes."

She took in a deep breath of the wonderful scent she was blanketed in and fell back into her subconscious illusion. The scent of Naruto helped to lure her deeper into her dream. The darkness was gone and Naruto was freed! Sakura currently clung to him in her ultimate victory and repressed carnal rage. As the rest of the world burned around them, nothing mattered, except that they had each other, that they could endure and fight even Hell to be with each other, that they could overcome anything together . . . as long as they were together.

"I'll do anything for you, Naruto." Warrior-Sakura stated with her glistening jade eyes transfixed upon his blazing sapphire orbs.

As the wind caressed their touching forms and cascaded her hair behind her, he said, "Sakura… I need you to do something for me."

Their forms pushed closer together as he pressed into her, their faces merely an inch apart and closing. Something was sure to explode in the background just at the right moment!

"Anything," murmured Sakura with her eyes locked onto his.

Just as their lips were about to touch, he said, "Save me."

Black tendrils spiraled and wrapped around him and jerked Naruto from her. He reached out to her, called her, screamed as the tendrils began to turn into chains that kept him bound. Naruto fought against his restraints but they held true and kept his arms to his sides and his form in a kneeling position.

"He will be mine."

Sakura spun around and came face to face with the _miko _Kikiyo.

"Over my dead body, he will," snapped Sakura as her lip curved into a sneer.

Sakura rushed the woman and sent her fist right into that demented woman's nose. She could feel the cartilage break as she pushed everything she had into the hit. Kikiyo merely laughed as her form began to glow and fall away. Then her body burst into millions of tiny golden specks, her cackle echoed throughout the darkness where Sakura now found herself. The particles swirled stationarily as the _kunoichi _glared at them and readied the sword she held in her hand. Golden particles shot at her, forming a spear that headed right for Sakura's chest. She was too slow to block the attack… Her eyes widened.

"Sakura!" She lurched away when something violently shook her. "Sakura, come on. This isn't the time to be snuggling into Naruto-kun's blankets! Wake up now! The girl's condition has worsened and another four cases triaged. They need you at the hospital now!"

Sakura bolted upright, blinked, and tried to calm her mind. Her heart pounded beneath her fingers as bullets of sweat dripped from her face. She felt bad. No, she felt dread. Something bad was going to happen… But, it was just a dream, a very realistic dream, but no less, a dream. She exhaled and wanted to drop back into the pillows after such a wonderful dream gone wrong. Instead of dropping back into bed, Sakura looked around her dimly lit environment. She wasn't in her room. She was in Naruto's room.

In Naruto's bed…

"This isn't what it looks like," blurted Sakura sleepily.

Sakura scurried from the bed and tried to straighten her hair. Gods only knew the rumors that would spread now! Then again, what did she really care? So what if she were found in Naruto's bed sleeping? She was just sleeping. That was all. It wasn't like no one expected it to one day happen. Actually, Sakura was sure everyone was expecting it. With the chemistry and all between the two of them, the intenseness when near each other, her violent urge to pounce on that boy, rip his clothes off and just _feel _him–

"Sakura? Are you alright? You look a little… agitated."

Sakura waved her hand before her face to fan herself as she giggled and twittered, "Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine. No worries!"

It came out too nervously and horribly hinted that she hid something, or was too embarrassed to admit it. Sakura smiled brightly and giggled nervously. The dread she felt still hovered over her as her stomach turned nervously. She pulled her shorts down and tried to flatten the wrinkles from her skirt. Gees, she was still dressed in yesterday's clothes, meaning she was still in yesterday's sweat and grime. She let out an agitated sigh.

The time on Naruto's alarm clock read, seven-o'-two AM. She looked to the window only for the light of early morning to blind her. Hinata's silhouette was a dark contrast with the backdrop of light. It made the Hyuuga head-woman look like an angel in the waking sunlight, especially with the curtains that fluttered behind her from the gentle springtime breeze. Hinata came in through the window.

"Sakura," intoned Hinata as she held a store-bought cup of coffee toward the pink-haired woman.

Definitely, Hinata was an angel.

"I know that you're tired, but they really need you right now." said Hinata.

The cherry blossom-haired woman was grateful it was Hinata. If it were anyone else, there would be questions, snickers, cheeky remarks, and most importantly rumors instantly to arise. Or at least all of these things would come from one, Uchiha Ino.

"Where is Ino?" asked Sakura as she removed the top and smelled the rich scent of the flavor of the coffee in her hands.

"She's already at the hospital, but she can't do much. I'm not adequately trained in this field of medicine to give support. What do you want me to do?" said Hinata as she twisted her hands together.

Sakura frowned. Hinata hated to feel useless and right now, she was really feeling it. Hinata didn't have the medical jutsu prowess behind her due to her father's interference, but Hinata was amazing when it came to herbs and home remedies. She could make up poultices, ointments, and creams with simple herbs found at the forest edge. Herbal teas, syrups, and brews were also some of Hinata's specialties.

After a quick deliberation, Sakura said, "Okay… Hinata… I need–"

A groan came from the other room and caused both females to turn to the closed door. To Sakura, the dread she felt intensified threefold. The two _kunoichi _listened for any other peculiar sounds and forced their ears to pick up on any sound – dripping water in the bathroom, fluttering of leaves in the wind, clanks of wind-chimes from outside on the porch . . .

"Did someone come with you?" inquired Sakura as she looked to Hinata.

Hinata shook her head and said, "_Iie_. Maybe, Naruto-kun is awake?"

Sakura shrugged and went to the door and swung it open. Hinata trailed after her as both women entered the hall, and then wandered into the kitchen. Everything seemed to be as it was last night…

When Hinata gasped and suddenly rushed into the living room, Sakura felt her heart sink. The dread became so much heavier. Something was wrong… She felt her body move, but it wasn't as if she were moving it. It was more like she was floating above it and watched what was taking place below her. When she saw Naruto sprawled upon the floor before the open balcony, Sakura abruptly stopped. Everything moved so slowly… _This isn't happening. _

Hinata fell to her knees next to Naruto, long indigo hair slowly trailed and followed the sudden drop. Sakura was sure Hinata screamed, only it was as if her voice were mute. Everything was mute. There was no sound at all. Maybe she was still dreaming.

Porcelain hands floated over the blond's face and gently grasped it. Something was wrong… He looked to be in pain, yet looked to be simply sleeping. Peach colored hair suddenly appeared at Naruto's torso as his youngest sibling looked hysterical. Maybe she was screaming too…

Dilated ocean-blue eyes, high body temperature that pinked the skin, labored breathing that made the chest slowly and roughly rise and fall…

It was so slow… everything moving so slow… no sound, no speed, just dread…

Hinata looked at her with tears in her pale white eyes. Her mouth was open wide as if she were screaming… her hair fluttering next to her face moved so slow… No sound emitted. No sound. This couldn't be real. This wasn't real…

"SAKURA!"

She shivered and looked down at the petite girl who grasped her hand and stared up at her with tearing eyes. Momo pleadingly cried, "Ani. He-ll-pp. Help, ani!"

Sakura breathed. Everything returned to normal as she could hear again and everything moved at normal speed. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be. She felt wobbly on her knees as she shifted her tearing milky-jade eyes to Hinata's.

"He has the same symptoms as the _genin_!" cried Hinata as she returned her attention to Naruto. "Sakura… What do you want to do?"

_This isn't happening, please, someone tell me this isn't happening, _thought Sakura in one last desperate effect. It was real though, this was happening.

"H-Hospital." murmured Sakura. She quickly rubbed her eyes, and stated, "Come on! Help me get him to the hospital!"


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer**: I did not create, nor do I own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because I imagined them from the inspiration of Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen:** **Chains**

"Move! Get out of the way!" shouted Sakura.

With shaken grace, the two _kunoichi_ carried the unconscious Naruto down the corridor of the halls of the hospital. With all the commotion, that took place their shouts and commands only mingled in with the other voices around them. Something was wrong in Konoha. There was an epidemic taking place. A plague that was targeting the young ninjas of _Konohagakure no sato_, leaving no clues and having no cure in its wake.

"My daughter!" cried a woman as she tried to get any hospital personnel at least to speak to her. "Tell me, please! They said she would be all right! They said she'd be all right!"

The two women holding the infected Naruto rushed past, yet their eyes glanced back at the distraught woman. It shook Sakura's core. Was Naruto's fate the same? No . . . She couldn't think like that. Not now. They found an empty roll bed in a chaotic hall and quickly took possession of it by laying Naruto on it.

"Hinata," commanded Sakura as she bore her eyes into the indigo-haired woman's pearl-white eyes. "Find Shizune or Tsunade, now."

Hinata's eyes defined and the veins around them bulged as she dashed away, her voice following as she said, "_Hai_."

Naruto jolted in his strained unconscious state. His fist balled up tightly as his toes curled. Knees rose as he suddenly grew stiff, slammed his arms into the bed and let out a blood-curdling scream as his back arched. Sakura fell back into the wall, her eyes wide as she stared at the thrashing form on the bed. None of the other patients went through this. This was a completely different symptom.

"What are you doing?"

Sakura looked up at the man standing over her. His royal blue eyes were steely, his face partially covered by a white mask.

"Get up, Haruno-san. You have an epidemic on your hands here, and if you don't make an antiserum with Naruto-kun's blood soon, all of those infected will die."

She pushed herself up, growing defensive as she said, "Kenji . . ."

A group rushed between them as they kept eye contact, neither willing to let the other out of their sight. Once clear, Sakura clenched her fist, ready to do anything in order to keep Naruto safe, to keep his sisters safe and far away from this mind-manipulating man.

"We thought you were dead." deadpanned Sakura.

He smiled beneath his medical mask. "Doctors are good at faking their own death, ne?" Kenji's smile faded as he said, "But, I had to do it. You may not understand why I went into hiding, or why I'm even here now, but I can swear to you that I'm not here to cause problems. I'm here to help."

"Prove it," stated Sakura.

He turned to Naruto as he said, "He is the cure to the poison Kikiyo had spread throughout your village. I don't think she intentionally planned it that way, is that she designed the poison for him. Anyone else who comes in contact with the poison will become ill and die, but not him."

"How do you know this?" asked Sakura as she returned her gaze to Naruto as he went through another spasm. "How do I know that you're no lying to me? That you're not just giving me hope for something sure to fail?"

Kenji's eyes grew distant as he mumbled, "Because she has done this before, in Sawa . . . We were too late in discovering how the poison worked. After we discovered how to make a cure, the damages were already done, and there was no one left alive to cure."

"_Kuso,_" uttered Sakura as her eye's teared. "We should have seen something like this coming . . . I have to inform _sensei_. He has to know about what we're dealing with."

"You don't have time for that–"

"I know I don't," shouted Sakura as she took grip of Kenji's arm. "That's why you're going to the Hokage to tell him everything you know."

* * *

. . . _He too was always alone, especially after what happened to that black-haired kid's family. Every time Naruto passed by the lake, he would look down the hill and see him there, alone, sitting at the end of the dock, sad and unconnected. _

_God how he hated him . . . but man, they were so much alike. Sasuke was cooler though, could do everything better, that teme! However, they were the same._

_Ahh, he caught him looking at him! Stupid, Sasuke! Thinks he's so much better than everyone else . . . Heh, heh, but, at least we can relate. Although we're different, we're a lot more alike than anyone else around here. _. . .

"Sasuke . . ."

. . . _It was by pure accident! Someone pushed into him, and Naruto fell forward while glaring at Uchiha-teme when their faces collided! Still, that wasn't just what hit! By some ungodly means, perhaps in some delight of fucked up humor, their lips even smashed together! It was disgusting! It was gross!_

_Killing intent flooded the air. _

_Kami-sama, he was dead!_

"I thought that we were alike back then. That in a way, we were brothers."

. . . "_Dobe." The stoic raven-haired boy murmured. Naruto smirked, "Teme." _. . .

"You know that everyone in the village used to hate me, because of the _kyuubi_ inside me. Then again, maybe you didn't really know, hell. I didn't until I was tricked into stealing that scroll. Then I knew. Then I knew why everyone hated me. Why no one acknowledged my existence."

. . . _Kakashi tied him to a tree because he failed to capture a bell. Sakura and Sasuke both had bentos, and were ordered not to feed him. Kami, he was starving too! Especially after not eating anything for breakfast that morning! Damn new sensei! _

"_Heh! I don't need any food!" proclaimed Narut, yet stomach rumbled loudly as he let out a defeated sigh. _

"_Here." _

_Sakura's eyes bulged from their sockets as Naruto too looked down at Sasuke as if the boy had grown two heads. _

"_Don't worry. I don't sense him near. After lunch, we'll work together and get the bells." mumbled Sasuke. "Without food, he'll just be in the way and that will only hurt us."_

_Naruto didn't know what to say. He was grateful, but also slightly pissed. Sasuke always had to add an insult to him in any form he could, even when he was being pleasant. _. . .

"I used to hate them all too. I hated the village and everything it stood for. There were times when I wanted revenge. I would envision it at times. Just ending it. Destroying it. Mutilating it.

"Hatred . . .

"It's such a potent thing."

. . . "_Gees all you do is get in the way . . ."_

"_Sasuke you–" His words fell dead. Sasuke stood with is back to him, needles seemingly sticking out all over his form. He was scratched and bloodied, it looked as if Sasuke were ready to collapse._

"_What's . . . with . . . that face . . . you moron?_" _asked Sasuke._

"_Why?" was all he could say. Why save me?_

"_How should I know . . ." uttered Sasuke weakly."Pft . . . I hated you . . ."_

"_But–But why me? I didn't ask for your help!" cried Naruto as tears burn at his eyes. _

_Sasuke mumbled, "I don't know . . ." His form swayed, then started to fall back. "My body just, moved on its own, dobe . . ."_

_Naruto caught him and gently laid him onto the ground. _

"_That man . . . my brother . . . I told myself I wouldn't die until I killed him . . . Don't die also . . ." _

_And that was it. Sasuke's glazed eyes closed as Naruto stared down at him in shock. You bastard, Naruto thought as tears welled in his deep blue eyes. I hated you too! I'll . . . I'll never forgive you! Looking to the masked shinobi as pure rage seethed throughout him, Naruto growled, "I'll kill you!"_ . . .

"One misstep and maybe I would have come to the same horrible conclusion you did. Maybe, I should have let the darkness that hate and loneliness consumes me."

. . . "_Hey, you alright?" Never had he seen Sasuke like this. The bastard for once wasn't trying to show off. No, Sasuke was running. This Sasuke was scared. Naruto sweat as he pushed the kunai deeper into the snake's snout. He looked up at Sasuke's frightened face and couldn't help himself. "Scaredy-cat?"_ . . .

"Because, I thought, I had no connections with anyone. Everyone around me had something, they had everything that I didn't. I had nothing until I met Iruka-sensai, and you."

. . . "_Naruto . . . " Sasuke mumbled. _

_Naruto looked at him with a scowl, expecting some type of smart-ass remark. _

"_I want to fight you."_

_Surprise. It was written all over Naruto's face as glared wide-eyed at Uchiha. He smiled, and said, "I wanna fight you too, Sasuke-teme!"_ . . .

"I knew you were always alone, and I was relieved there was someone else like me. Someone else who knew my loneliness. Someone else who knew what I was going through. I wanted to talk to you right way . . . I was so happy, but I didn't because, at the end of the day, you and I were still different and in no way the same. I am the day: warm and bright, while you are the night: cold and dark."

. . . _Stone began to rip and spread apart as electricity charged. The sound of thousands of birds chirped madly. The look on Sasuke's face was haunting and miserable. Like he had lost his mind as he ran toward the cloaked raven-haired man, as he ran toward his own elder brother with intent to kill. All Naruto could do was watch. _. . . "But over time, things began to change. I should have taken action then. I should have known that there was something wrong. That this person you were turning into was not you. I should have realized then how truly different we really are. That we were on completely different paths."

. . . " _What are you losing your cool for? What? Are you afraid now that you challenged me to a fight, huh? Sasuke?" taunted Naruto. _

_Sasuke snarled, "Shut up and fight!"_

"_Before we start, you better put on this leaf headband," said Naruto and then held it out to him._

"_I don't need something like that!" retorted Sasuke._

_Naruto scowled and said, "Just do it, teme!"_

"_There is no way that you will lay a hand on me, let alone my forehead!" stated Sasuke again his eyes wide and crazed. _

"_No," Naruto said. "I'm saying this is a symbol that we fight as equal leaf ninjas!"_

"_That's why I say you're full of yourself! You think you're on par with me?" snapped Sasuke._

"_Of course I do," Naruto stated. "In fact, I've never thought of myself as inferior to you, not even once!"_

"_You're pissing me off!"_

"_That's because you're still weak, Sasuke-CHAN!"_ . . .

"I was jealous because you could do anything, so I decided you'd be my rival. I challenged you at any chance I had, because of our differences. I hated the fact that even though you were alone, you still had everyone standing behind you. You didn't have to do a thing. They were always there, and you rejected them. You pushed them away, not realizing how powerful they could have truly made you."

. . . "_Wait!" _

_Naruto turned at the sound of her voice, and murmured, "Sakura-chan?"_

_Shikamaru said, "I already heard from the Hokage that you couldn't even convince him." She bowed her head as tears welled in her soft jade eyes. "Seems like we gotta force him to understand then, Sakura. Your job is done."_

"_Sakura, you already met with Sasuke?" asked Naruto as he rushed to her._

_She didn't say anything, instead, she bowed her head more as tears threatened to fall. Then she let it all out, letting tears fall as she pleaded, "Naruto! I beg you! Please! Please bring Sasuke back!"_

_It hurt. A number of emotions ran through him, but Naruto pushed them all aside. She looked so pathetic, standing there crying over their teammate who he was sure he was going to convince to come home. Sasuke was just messing around right now . . . that's all . . . _

"_I couldn't do it," Sakura went on. "I couldn't stop him. The only person who can, who can save Sasuke-kun now is you, Naruto. Only you . . ." _

_Shattered. That is what his heart felt like. Like it had been ground up and stomped on. Then maybe fried to just add insult. _

"_You really like Sasuke, huh?" Naruto mumbled, "I know how much pain you're in because of Sasuke. I can understand." _

_Hell, he was feeling it right then. _

_Sakura held herself as he said, "Thank you, Naruto."_

_He couldn't help but smile to help try and cheer her up. He gave the 'nice guy pose' and enthusiastically said, "Don't worry, Sakura-chan! I'll bring him back! It's a promise. A promise of a lifetime!"_ . . .

"I wanted to be like you back then. I wanted to be like you so much . . . I finally had some connection. I had a rival who pushed me, a teammate who trusted me . . . I had a friend . . . a brother. As we fulfilled our duties as team seven, I was always chased after you because I wanted to be as strong and cool as you were, but then . . . you changed."

. . . "_There won't be anyone to stop things like last time. Neither Kakashi nor Sakura are here right now, and even you were waiting very anxiously for this, right?" taunted Sasuke as he glared down at Naruto from his upside-down perch. _

_Sasuke began to slide down the fall, his hands rapidly going through seals. Chakra charged to his hand as he held his wrist. Lightening began to charge, flickering around the descending Uchiha, chirping wildly. Naruto made a clone and quickly began to form a Rasengan. Sasuke was charging toward him, his eyes again holding that unfocused crazed gleam. The Clone grabbed his hand and wrist, twirled him around and released him, shouting, "Eat this!"_

_Naruto flew forward, Rasengan in hand. When both techniques hit, chakras began to battle for dominance. Neither could overpower the other, and the techniques threw both boys back. After skipping along the water like a stone, Naruto let himself sink into the water's depths to collect his thoughts. He cursed. Sasuke was serious . . . He rose to the surface, only to look at his teammate, his rival . . . his best friend. Naruto forced himself up and stood on the water. The water that drained from him hid his falling tears. _

_Can you kill me that calmly, Sasuke? _

_When did this happen? _

_In his head now, he seriously plans to kill me . . . really, seriously . . . Sasuke, what happened? _

_As he lost himself in his thoughts, automatically trying to defend himself from Sasuke's constant attacks, it happened. Pain shot throughout his chest as he stared down at his friend. His friend . . . _

_How were they, friends? _

_Naruto couldn't breathe. . . He couldn't breathe. . . It burned . . . Everything burned. The thing gripped his throat, Naruto pulled then threw from him. His chakra no longer felt like warm sunshine. It had become scorching hot like hells own flames. His best friend . . . the promise . . . _

_Naruto wanted to scream. He opened his eyes and growled as he glared at Sasuke as energy whipped around him and burned at the hole in his chest. It closed within mere seconds as he felt amped and extremely angry. _

"_SASUKE!" he screamed. "You won't go to Orochimaru! Even if I have to break the bones in your arms and legs, I will stop you!" _

_Sasuke asked, "What are you?" _

_Tears were pouring from his eyes as he said, "A friend."_ . . .

"I didn't understand it at first. How you could just throw away everything for revenge, to just toss everything aside like trash? To leave your home, the place that sheltered you and praised you! Just to turn your fucking back on your friends and family! To destroy everything we went through? To wipe out the bonds we shared? To kill us all for the sake of your own pride? To hurt her . . . to break her like you did!"

. . . _They stood at the door, Tsunade and Sakura-chan. Naruto didn't even hear what the old hag had to say. Instead he was crestfallen. He didn't keep his promise . . . and he couldn't face Sakura. He couldn't face her!_

"_I'm sorry, Sakura-chan."_

_She flashed a fake smile and giggled, "Why're you apologizing? Heh, heh, you look weird, Naruto. You're all wrapped up like a mummy."_

"_I'm sorry I–"_

"_Listen," She interrupted. "The weather's good today. Here, I opened the curtains, now–" _

"_Sakura-chan! I'll definitely keep my promise! It is a lifelong promise!" shouted Naruto in hopes she'd understand._

_Tsunade frowned as Shikamaru watched the pink-haired kunoichi. _

"_It's all right, Naruto." murmured Sakura. "Always–"_

_Shikamaru snapped, "He's trying to–"_

"_Like I said," stated Naruto as his voice carried in the room. "I won't go back on my word, because that's my ninja way!"_

_He began to chuckle, only he stopped as he watched his teammate wander to the door and mumbled, "I'm sorry Naruto." _

_His heart sank. She was never going to forgive him!_

"_I made you wait for a while now, but next time, we'll both do it together," Sakura said before she glanced back at him, and left the room._ . . .

"She was innocent. Completely innocent and you didn't care. She was a pawn, just like the rest of us, the trash that you shunned and spit on. Thinking back, I really wonder what I thought I saw in you. We're complete opposites, yet oddly enough, how our roles could have been reversed . . . Would you have come after me, Sasuke?"

. . . _She looked frozen, staring up into the light from the depths of the tunnels, as she uttered the name, "Sasuke-kun."_

_After these two and a half long years, they found him. They finally found Sasuke! Naruto rushed ahead, his heart beating rapidly. They found their friend. They found their deranged friend, and damn it, they were going to take him home! He tripped, trying to get to the end of the tunnel so quickly, but when the light embraced him, Naruto wasn't quite prepared for what he saw. _

_There stood Sasuke, looking almost as if he hadn't changed. He was wearing more Orochimaru approved clothing, but that was beside the point. _

_The thing Naruto remembered most that day was what Sasuke said about bonds._

"_Having too many bonds causes one to lose focus, weakening their strongest wish, their greatest desire."_

"_It that's true," mumbled Naruto. His voice grew with the anger that suddenly surged through him as he said, "If that's true then why? Why didn't you kill me back then?! Is that what you call severing bonds, Sasuke?" _

"_The reason is simple, and it isn't that I wasn't able to sever my bonds with you," Sasuke said. "I simply didn't want to give him the pleasure of seeing me attain power by submitting to his plans."_

_Naruto growled and felt rage slowly eat away at him as he spat, "What do you mean by that?!"_

_Sasuke indifferently said, "There's no need for me to tell you. I can say to you is that back then, I chose to spare your life at nothing more than a whim of mine." Suddenly Sasuke was before him, his arm draped lazily over Naruto's shoulder as he said, "Come to think of it, becoming Hokage is a dream of yours, right? If you had the time to go around looking for me, you would have been better off training, don't you think, Naruto? That's why, this time–" he unsheathed his sword. "–you're going to end up losing your life all at a whim of mine."_

"_Like there's any chance someone who can't save a friend could become Hokage, don't you think? Sasuke?" _. . .

"Would you have made that same promise to her, never to give up nor break that promise, Sasuke? Would you have done everything in your power to bring me back? To make me change? To help me? Would you have walked that line, brother? Would have given up everything? Given up your dreams, your faith, your _life _just to keep that one promise?"

. . . _This wasn't Sasuke. This raven-haired teen, with blood oozing from his eye, wasn't the Sasuke that Naruto knew. This was someone else . . . someone that could have been he._

"_I understand, Sasuke. I understand why you're doing this, now," said Naruto as Sasuke glared. _

"_I thought I told you." said Sasuke. "You have no parents, no siblings, what can you understand, Naruto? It's none of your business, so shut up!"_

_Sakura growled and then stepped forward and said, "Do you know how Naruto feels about you!? No matter what horrible rumors we heard, he's always considered you a friend. Even now . . ."_

_It didn't matter. Sasuke was gone. His mind twisted by the hate and darkness that he had become. It was after their jutsus met again, that Naruto truly realized that his friend had changed. _

"_You remember what you said to me at the Valley of End, Sasuke?" asked Naruto. "A first-class ninja can read his opponent's heart just by trading blows with him once. I understand a lot now, after exchanging blows. That means we've become first-class ninjas, Sasuke. You and I . . . Did you read what was in my heart too? Did you? And you saw it, didn't you? The next time you and I fight . . . We will both die."_

_The wind picked up . . . Never had Naruto spoken so seriously. _

"_If you attack Konoha, I will have to fight you so save up your hatred, Sasuke, and take it all out on me! I'm the only one who can take it! It's the only thing I can do. I will shoulder your hatred and die with you!"_

_Sasuke looked taken aback as he blurted, "Why? What the hell do you want? Why do you care so much?_

_Naruto smiled, and said, "Because we're friends." _. . .

"Would you have gone that far, Sasuke?"

Silence. The stoic dark-haired teen merely stared at him as the wind whipped around them. After what seemed to be an eternity, Sasuke smirked.

"No." replied Sasuke with dull eyes. "I wouldn't."

Everything sped past at what seemed to be millions of miles per second on the exception of the ground and the form of the man who stood before him. Sasuke walked to him slowly, his hand not once leaving the hilt of his sword. His eyes looked lazy, bored, indifferent and were deep shining obsidian in color.

"I wouldn't go that far to save someone who clearly doesn't want to be saved. Can't you see that, Naruto?"

He didn't respond. Instead, Naruto scowled deeper, his fist clenched tightly.

"Do you know what we are, Naruto?" questioned Sasuke as he stopped before his old teammate.

Naruto sneered, "I thought we were friends."

"Friends? How delusional . . . No, I like to think of us as a chain, Naruto. That is what we are." said Sasuke, "Chains can consist of anything: metal, silk, paper, thoughts, _feelings_ . . . it's bound together by a series of rings that join. This linkage is what makes a chain flexible and extraordinarily strong. Each link binds the next link together, creating a never-ending cycle of strength, unity, connection–"

"What's your point Sasuke?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the interruption, but he continued in his monotonous voice. "A simple chain is just like a bond of love or friendship. Like a chain, we adjoin a bond together. The rings that keep a bond together are not made of matter but constructed of the experiences of the two that bond together. Bonds are flexible and each event links together, creating a cycle of friendship, understanding, relation. That is how we are, Naruto. We are a chain thus . . ." He unsheathed his sword as his eyes turned to their crimson hue. "A chain can be cut, no matter how strong or thick the linkages may be. The chain that holds us together, this _bond_ we share . . . It can be severed and today I will forever sever the thread that binds us together. I will kill you."

Naruto grew dejected as he mumbled, "You'll only be killing yourself, Sasuke."

Sasuke's face contorted into anger before he shouted and rushed forward, his sword held at his side. The hidden _kunai_ shot from its holder on Naruto's arm. He grabbed the handle with expert ease as he rushed forward.

This battle . . .

This fight . . .

It would be their last.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer**: I did not create, nor do I own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because I imagined them from the inspiration of Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: Kenjima's Tale **

"_**Y**_ou don't understand, Haruno-san." said Kenji as he gently pulled his arm from her iron grip. "We don't even have time to search for your village's leader, not with the condition Naruto is in."

Sakura's eyes widened at the man's words.

"Sakura-san." mumbled Kenji, he rested his hand on her shoulder. "Now isn't the time to panic. It's time to be productive and do what we can to save those infected. Naruto-kun's blood is the key. Be the strong woman you are, and snap out of it."

The pink-haired woman took in a deep breath of air. Her milky jade eyes wandered to the wreathing form of the blond-haired man who lay on the bed. His usual mid-toned skin had paled. Veins and arteries shown through his skin as angry violet-red lines and sweat saturated his clothes as he seemed to be internally on fire.

"Sakura-san," Kenji softly intoned. "Naruto needs you most right now."

Just seeing Naruto in this condition, seeing the man she cared about above all others so defenseless and in pain, confused and confounded the medical _kunoichi _to a point that she just couldn't interact. Her heart hurt too much. With each beat her heart made, Sakura felt the dread grow stronger.

_Get it together, Sakura! _She scolded herself as a sob racked her form. _You haven't been this shaken since that night! Get over this, Sakura. Get it together and MOVE!_

As her fist tightened to the point they turned white, the woman closed her eyes and done a quick synopsis of the situation. Naruto was infected with an unknown poison from what Kenji claimed. Only how could she trust Kenji after he supposedly faked his own death? After this man who manipulated not just Naruto's mind and memories, but also the innocent mind of Hazuki? How could Sakura honestly trust this man?

"Don't just stand around looking lost. You are making me look bad as your teacher." Sakura quickly turned to the voice as tears rolled from her eyes. Soft pink lips curved into a smirk as the bodacious straw-blonde placed a hand on her hip and scowled at the look on the pink-haired woman's face. "And get that stupid lost look off your face, it makes you look incompetent, Sakura."

"Tsu-Tsunade-sama . . ." uttered Sakura with relief evident in her shaking voice.

Standing in her famed _genjutsu _form of a young woman, similar to Sakura's own age, the _Godaime _Hokage looked as if she were still in her prime. She hadn't changed over the course of ten years. Tsunade still kept her hair in their low and loose pigtails tied off with violet bands, the violet rhombus of the Yin Seal was still clearly centered on her forehead where she stored chakra, and she continued to proudly wear her green jacket that on the back in black kanji read, _Gamble _within a red circle.

Hinata stood off to the side; her pearl-white eyes tearing as they gazed upon the man on the bed. Everything was falling apart around Konoha again . . . It was surreal, and all too similar to that day ten long years ago. The Hyuuga head woman was worried. Will there be the same turn of events? Will Konoha lose their hero again to death? She hoped not, and wholly wanted to believe that it wouldn't turn out that way.

The retired Hokage's smile faded as she grew stern and said, "Snap out of it, Sakura. We have work to do." She glanced at Kenji as she said, "We're currently short on staff with the epidemic on our hands, so you're going to help, while you explain to this former Hokage what the hell is going on."

With a nod of his head and no room to argue, Kenji said, "Of course, Lady Tsunade. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Cut the flattery." snapped Tsunade as she went to Naruto's bedside and instantly began to overlook him. "What do we know about this as of now?"

Sakura wiped her eyes as she said, "Currently all we know is that it is contracted by touch by absorbing through the pores of the skin. Past patients have shown signs of contact with an unknown substance that produces burn-like symptoms, almost as chemical or chakra burns. The source of the poison though is still unknown."

The fifth Hokage ran a quick diagnostics over Naruto's stilled form with the use of her chakra that she channeled to her hands. Poisons were something Tsunade had a nack for. During the second great _shinobi _war, Tsunade had learned to both utilize, and even detect just about any type of poison used during that bloody time in history. This was merely a repeat of those days . . . only they were supposed to be living in a world of peace.

"There's something wrong," said the _Godaime _as she closed her eyes and put all her attention to the chakra channeled at her hands. Her eyes snapped open. "I can't tell it he contracted it by touch, ingestion, or if he inhaled it . . ." She canceled her jutsu and stared wide-eyed at the still young man. "It's like he wasn't even poisoned at all."

"What," spat Sakura as she snapped out of her daze.

The dread she felt did not lessen. What Tsunade discovered caught the pink-haired medic off guard. She thought back to the other patients who came in with Naruto's symptoms. It didn't sound right. All of the other patients showed signs of skin contact.

"This is different from what she did in Sawa. You must realize, that Kikiyo has a gift, the ability to control and communicate with the entities of nature. She can manipulate organic life unlike any of those before her, to a point that she can merge species of the animal kingdom with those of plants, creating a whole new life." Kenji checked Naruto physically as he said, "In Sawa, she poisoned the drinking supply with an organic mixture. It was similar to the effects of the monkshood flower, yet had the horrible side effects of hemlock. Kikiyo designed the roots of a simple flower to extract the poison into the water supply. It only took a single flower to almost kill everyone in within the castle walls who drank from the wells."

Sakura's eyes shifted to the left and right quickly as she thought aloud and uttered, "She didn't poison Konoha's water supply . . . she done something different. The first victims showed burns on their hands . . . If Kikiyo can manipulate organic matter, then what is to say that she didn't create a plant that secreted a poison that was absorbed by touch. That means we need people to search out, find, and collect this foreign flora. But what are we looking for . . ." Kenji and Tsunade watched as Sakura continued to rant and brainstorm as she said, "Naruto is different from the other victims thought. It spread quickly to his bloodstream, unlike the others it took a whole day, but it didn't affect his blood or immune system like the others . . . Naruto was poisoned differently, so either the plants are evolving, or we have two different types of flora we're going to have to search for."

"I know most of the flora that grows around Konoha." stated Hinata as she looked to the group. For years she had pressed flowers as a calming hobby. Hinata had wandered all around Konoha most of her life, and knew most of the plant life that existed within the hidden village's grounds. It should be easy to detect any new flora. But, if the _miko's _chakra was too used in creating the plants, it would be all the easier for a well-trained Hyuuga to search for and find. "But if Kikiyo used chakra to create her flora constructs, I should be able to see the chakra flow within the plants, similar to when seeing a human's chakra. Flora doesn't possess a chakra network like we do, because it possesses natural energy that is different from our chakra, but if the botanical is created by jutsu, this network becomes altered and contains the creator's energy instead of natural energy."

Kenji nodded his head as he said, "Yes . . . Kikiyo's creations would be flowing with her energy."

Hinata nodded and then turned to Tsunade as she said, "I will gather a team, Godaime-sama, and we'll find the constructs and contain them. We will bring them back within a containment scroll so more research can be done on them."

"Get it done," said Tsunade to the pearl-eyed Hinata, who quickly bowed then vanished in a blur. Turning to Kenji and Sakura, Tsunade pushed Naruto's bed out into the hall as she said, "We have work to do. Let's move him to the ground level so we can see what type of poison we're working with. From the charts I've read on the other cases, their poisoning is similar to a horrific sunburn. I don't know how she did this, but it is like these poor kids have been exposed to something that is able to continue burning them even when they are no longer in the sunlight. That it continues to destroy their biological tissue, smoldering them inside out."

They quickly pushed past a set of double doors, and left the busy emergency room behind. The hall was eerily silent and empty. It continued to slant downward, heading into the depths of the hospital's guts where civilians were not allowed to travel down, nor really knew about.

Naruto went through another spasm, his pain seemingly increasing as he screamed and sat up in the bed. The three medics had to stop and restrain the blond-haired man to keep him from hurting himself as he fought against whatever poison infected him. When the nine-tails chakra blasted from him in a ring of crimson chakra, the three medics were temporarily stunned. The vial chakra was enough to take anyone's breath away, along with giving them third-degree burns. It wasn't long before Naruto's form grew still, and the _kyuubi's _chakra receded back into his form.

"Well, at least we know the fox is helping out somewhat," said Tsunade sardonically as she pushed the bed forward.

They passed another set of double doors. Tsunade gave instructions to the medics at the main desk, and instantly white-robed medics began to file around them. Again they moved as Tsunade removed Naruto's clothing, and Sakura began to prep him for the procedure. Within twenty minutes, Naruto was stripped, having only a towel to cover his groin and thighs. Black inscriptions had been scribbled upon his arms, legs, torso, and face, as he laid center of a large diagram of a seven-point star within a circle and heptagon. A septet of white-robed medics sat cross-legged upon each of the star's points, as candles were lit and placed within various places on the diagram. Centered on each line of the heptagon sat open globes that contained pure white sand.

"I gave him a sedative," said Sakura as she went over the final preparations. She gave a curt nod and said, "We're ready to proceed."

Tsunade nodded. "Begin."

The seven white robe wearing medical ninja instantly rose their arms, having their left palms extended and facing Naruto, while their right arm braced the left. Chakra surged and quickly began to manifest in a soft glow of greenish-white around the medical staff. The energy then began to absorb into the scrawl of lines upon the floor. Before long, the entire graph Naruto lay on was glowing with chakra.

"Good, everything is looking good," said Tsunade as the group and she watched the chakra slowly begin to spread onto the small markings on his skin. She then glanced at Kenji and said, "I heard that you died ten years ago, doctor Shidomoto Kenjima. Care to explain how you're alive and why you did manipulate and hide one of the leaf's finest _shinobi_?"

Kenji kept his eyes focused on Naruto, "It is a long story."

"Really," retorted Tsunade. "Good thing we're going to have a long while to talk."

He looked to the floor as Sakura too stared at him now. With a grimace he said, "I'd rather just forget it. To forget everything that happened then . . . to just stay dead . . . but, I guess it just wouldn't be right, would it." He looked at Tsunade as he said, "That's why I did it. Not for Sawa, not for them . . . but for me."

* * *

–_Ten years ago–_

* * *

"What?" I asked as I stared at the Elder as if she'd grown two heads.

She wanted me to take the princess? The Lord and Lady's child?

"All things happen for a reason." The aged woman blinked slowly as she looked down at the bundle she held in her arms. "And you heard me the first time, Kenjima-kun. I want you to take my great-great-granddaughter, and hide her. I wish for you to raise her, for you to be the one to help teach her how to use her ability when the time comes, for only you can do so, Kenjima-kun. Only you know the secrets behind this devastating ability, and only you will be able to help her learn how to master and control it."

"Like Kikiyo?" I asked with scorn in my voice. "You do see how she turned out, right? All things happen for reasons . . . are you saying that this was supposed to happen? That Kikiyo murdering her family and poisoning the village has some type of stupid divine reasoning behind it all!"

"Why, yes." Lady Mizuki laughed.

"That's bull shit! I trained Kikiyo, I helped her, and it's because of me Sawa is suffering as it is, not because of some divine or cosmic flow, Lady Mizuki! That power, having that ability went to Kikiyo's head. It's made her think she's some type of goddess, and she's not! It wasn't her destiny to turn out like this . . . " I shook my head, and said, "My teachings, the lessons, and all the research and studies I did on her only created a powerful beast, a monster that cannot be tamed. Is that what you wish to become of the princess, my Lady?"

"It was not you, who poured wickedness into Kikiyo's heart. It was she herself who opened herself to such darkness, and allowed it to warp her into what she has become." Elder Mizuki then softly smiled, and placed her small hand on the toddlers chest, just over the baby's heart as she said, "This child will not be like Kikiyo, for I have seen that for myself." the Elder's blind eyes turned up to me, seemingly her eyes unseeing, yet able to see all and even beyond. "For you will be the one to fill the child with love, not I."

"I . . . I can't take in a kid. I didn't even raise my own, Elder. Don't you understand–"

"Kenjima-kun," the Elder's soft voice whispered, "You can, and you must." she nodded her head. "Riza will love to take her in. She always wanted a daughter."

"You do know that Riza threatens to leave me all the time right? That she _hates _me. Even Yousuke hates me right now all because of how obsessive I became of my research!" I ruefully spat.

"I know that we have asked so much of you, and it seems that we have taken a great deal more, but Kenjima-kun, this is your destiny. You are not to blame with how Kikiyo turned out, but you can correct the mistakes you made, through this child_._"

"No. No! . . . I'm not doing this. I'll stop Kikiyo myself, Lady Mizuki. I helped in creating her, so I'll be the one to destroy her."

"You cannot kill, Kikiyo, Kenjima . . . She is like a daughter to you . . . "

I looked away, and grumbled, "I can kill her . . . I just have to remind myself every day that it was she who did this. Because of her I pushed my family aside, and might even lose them . . ."

"So you will kill her for revenge."

"Yes," I snapped.

"Revenge solves nothing. It is only a breeding ground for hate and misfortune, and it will not make you feel any better. It will not correct the damage you inflicted within your own family yourself, nor will revenge make you feel any better at being a deadbeat father and husband. It will not restore your honor, Kenjima. It will only further stain you, and mark you as an un-honest, and misfortunate man." She gently held the child out to me, and automatically my arms shifted and I took the light burden. She smiled and said, "If you take this route, you will learn what it is like to actually have a family, how to really love a family, and to be loved by them. This is your destiny, Kenjima-kun."

"I'm a man of science, _Miko._" I told her. "I don't believe in destiny."

"You will," she laughed. She calmed herself, and snickered, "Don't worry so much, Kenjima-kun. You will not be alone on this journey."

"What is that supposed to mean, Elder?" I asked, wondering what she did mean.

"That you will not be alone. That you will have reasoning to exist. A purpose, if you will." The old woman chuckled as she shifted and stood up from the large pillow she sat upon. She picked up a golden _bo_ and smiled into the room. "Mark my words, Kenjima-kun, a legend will begin. One of epic per portions. A story that will be told for generations to come . . . a tale of a great hero who gave his very life for the sake of his village. A man thought to have died long ago, who will one day rise from the dead." Elder Mizuki rattled out as she casually walked down the stairs toward the main entrance. "You will find this man, and make him forgotten until the time comes when he will rise again."

"Your speaking in riddles, Elder. I don't understand!"

"The Lord and Lady's heir will be whispered about too. Thought to be dead, only those who believe will know that she lives. Then the true legends will begin in whispers around campfires, a grand story of the Swamp princess being protected by a great beast, a powerful demon guise as a man. A beast so ruthless that just upon hearing the heir call its name, it will destroy all that oppose or wish to hurt the Child of the Swamps. That only the heir will be able to tame the beast and force it back into its dormant state and human disguise.

"That is how the legend will be told, Kenjima-kun. That is how I want you to tell it. The very child that you hold, you will hideaway. She will be unknowing to what her destiny truly is, nor the power bestowed upon her, unless you tell her."

"Why must this be her destiny?" I asked, mystified yet skeptical.

"Fu, fu, starting to believe . . ."

"No."

She laughed. "Ahh, but that is what makes destiny so mystifying . . . you can either follow the path destiny has chosen for you, or you can make your own destiny!" She laughed again, sounding so childlike and innocent. "You must find the man, the one who holds the beast within him. The warrior who will rise from the dead. He will aid you when the time comes, and will bear with him powerful allies who can help stop Kikiyo once and for all when the time comes."

"You're shitting me," I blurted.

The Elder then turned her head toward the main entrance as a grimace overcame her visage, "You must go, for she comes."

My stomach sank. "Lady Mizuki . . ."

"Go!" She roared and pointed toward the hidden escape in the wall with her staff. "I will hold her off here for as long as I can."

I hesitated at first, but then quickly ran. There was a tremendous bang, then a boom as the entire chamber rattled and shook. The child started to move in my arms, but I held her closer to me and went through the escape hatch. As soon as the hatch closed, I could hear all hell breaking loose within the chamber. It took a good twenty minutes to navigate my way out of the castle through the underground tunnel. When I came out, I found myself within the woods, north of the castle.

The child pinched my arm, and I instantly looked down at her. Big brown intelligent eyes gazed up me. A frown appeared on her face, and the girl's lips quivered as tears formed at the brim of her eyes. She didn't make a single sound though.

"I'm scared too," I told the bundled girl.

Pouting, she forced herself to sit up. Here I thought I was dealing with a small infant child, only to find that the baby was at least two years old, only she was very petite for her age. Petite, and quite bald. There was only a round fuzz of orangy-red hair on her head. I couldn't help but rub it affectionately as I said, "Peachy . . ."

The girl sniffled, rested her head on my shoulder and said nothing.

"Hey, it'll be alright. I'm not much of anything, but Riza is, and she'll love you to death-" I paused. I had no idea what her name was. After all that ranting, the Elder never told me the girl's name. I rubbed her spot of feathery hair once again, and smiled. " . . . Momo."

Riza always said she was going to leave me and take our son before I ended up turning him into some type of lab rat. Never in a million years did I ever think that she would really leave. That they both would leave me the way they did . . .

By the time I reached the encampment, smoke was in the air. Thick and like a choking fog the smoke seemed to spread door to door, hall to hall, searching out its victims one by one. Bodies littered the floor as a mangled mess, mixed between those who died from smoke inhalation, and those who were poisoned. It was easy to tell the bodies apart. Those affected by the poison died with their forms ridged, their faces frozen in contorted pain with their mouths ringed with green foam created by the stomach's bile. You could tell that they suffered their deaths long, and dreadful. The victims who died by smoke, well, they appeared to be sleeping; their forms pale, soot covered, and they all were in huddled together in groups. They didn't die in pain, no, they slowly suffocated by choking on the noxious fumes until their body eventually gave out.

That was how they all looked in the beginning, when I walked in . . . like they were all sleeping . . . my wife, my son . . .

They just laid there on the floor of the panic room. They were supposed to have been safe. The Elders promised me that my family would be taken care of, that I didn't need to worry. That all my focus needed to be on saving the Lord and Lady . . . and I did all I could, but I just couldn't save them. Then the _Miko_ placed their daughter into my custody? Was this punishment? Was this fate? Was this _fair_? I lingered in the doorway, my world between rationality and dementia, as I found myself at an impasse.

What was I supposed to do now?

My beautiful wife Riza, she was huddled with our son Yousuke . . . they looked to be sleeping. I wanted to believe that they were sleeping, but I knew better. At least the rational part of my mind did. Even the babe I held clenched in my arms could tell that there was no life within the bodies that sat upon the floor. The other part of my mind, a more delusional and impractical side, believed they were sleeping. That they would wake up when I shook them . . . but when I did they didn't stir. They were dead, and at that exact moment, I, Shidomoto Kenjima died too.

Why?

That was the first question my mind spat at me. Why did this happen? Why did they have to be the ones to die? Why couldn't it have been someone else's family? Why did it have to be mine?

Of course after thinking such things, I felt guilty, because I was a horrible father.

I was always working, studying, researching . . . I wasn't there for my family when they really needed me . . . any time they needed me, I wasn't there. I loved them, I really did, only I loved my work much more. I was a scientist, a man of genius . . . a horrible father and even worst of a husband.

Maybe that was why they were all dead and taken from me.

But, was it really my fault? That was the second question that plagued me.

What if I had nothing to do with it. What if it was the damn Elders who done this! Maybe it was their form of revenge for how Kikiyo turned out. Maybe because my creation killed the Lord and Lady the Elders had my family killed . . .

That was wrong . . . because the Elders would never do something so horrendous as that and plus, they forced the princess on me. I had to quit trying to put the blame on others, because it was my fault, and my fault alone.

I didn't even deserve to morn for my wife and son. Honestly, I never deserved them to begin with. I always pushed my family aside, placed them last before my work and myself . . . how selfish of a person I am . . . I deserved to lose them, because I never cherished them to begin with . . . only did they have to leave me in this way?

It just wasn't fair.

Riza done nothing to anyone, nor did Yousuke . . . he was friends with everyone. They were all bright, the sunlight of my life, once the very reason to why I lived, to why I existed . . . until my work became my world. Then, my family, the ones I should have always put first, I pushed back and far away from me.

Why did they deserve such a fate? Why did this have to happen at all?

I wanted to blame the Lord and Lady. I wanted to put all the blame, the deaths of my loved ones on their shoulders, but . . . it wasn't right to do such a thing. They didn't know that this was going to happen. They didn't know that Kikiyo would take such extreme measures for the throne of Sawa. No one knew or could predict that Kikiyo would do her best to wipe us all out. Well, that is a lie because one person knew.

The person that created Kikiyo knew she'd one day turn.

And the one that created her, he was the true monster.

I _was_ the monster.

They came on the day I set the pyre on fire. Fifty or so bodies burned within the flames, sending black smoke into the clouded heaven's above and filling the air with the stench of burning human flesh. I was going to include the bodies of my wife and son in the pyre, but I just couldn't . . . I buried them long before I began to clean up the encampment.

The man that approached didn't wave or signal any type of greeting. He kept his features sullen, when he asked, "Were there any survivors?"

I shook my head, and said, "No."

He looked to the crackling flames, and mumbled, "Did you bury any of the bodies?"

"No." I lied. "There was no time, they were starting to decompose."

The man nodded and wiped his face with a cloth. "It's a shame what has become of Sawa . . ."

I looked away and mumbled, "I know."

"Are you staying here, sir?" the man asked me.

I looked up at him and mumbled, "Sir?"

"There is word that the _shinobi _have set up a camp for the survivors of Sawa's war." he glanced over to a meager group of people, then back to me. His eyes then fell onto Momo as she lay on a pallet nearby. By the look on his face, I knew that he knew who she was. "We are traveling to the camp . . . as refugees. No ID or papers are required. There is safety in numbers . . . Anyone can start over and start new."

I nodded and said, "We'll stay around here for now."

The man merely nodded and turned away. He started back to his group, only to glance back and softly say, "We'll be waiting. Ready to protect you and her both . . . when you believe it is time."

We locked eyes for a moment, and I nodded.

For a while, I was in a state of shock. I registered the world around me, but it was like I was dreaming my way through life. That everything moved sluggishly and slow. To help keep what little bit of my sanity I had left, I mingled myself with a search and rescue group, and it was raining the night that I found him. The man who held the beast, only I had no idea who he was at first because he was nothing more than a kid at the time.

It always rained during the summer and winter months in Sawa. The country was settled on a peninsula, so having water surrounding it on three sides, Sawa was prone to sudden pop-up thunderstorms, but not this night. On this night, a tropical depression had reached land and was wreaking havoc on Swamp's coastal range. It didn't stop the search for possible survivors of the second raid that happened the night prior.

Lightning crawled across the clouds, shattering the pitch-black darkness if only for a few seconds. It only gave me seconds to see out into the murky night and just make out the silhouettes of my surroundings. There was nothing but towering cypress trees and thickets of bamboo whose tops bent and creaked with the gale-force winds that swept upon the marsh like a fine-toothed comb. I hoped that Momo wasn't too scared. I left her with Toratsume, a rather large saber-toothed tiger that I had a summoning contract with. Tora would take care of the toddler. The large cat loved babies, often missing her own offspring when they left the den.

"Hello!" I called, my voice muffled by the downpour of rain. Thunder grumbled in the distance, and I shouted, "Is anyone alive out there?"

A flash of light to my right, and another person with my search and rescue team called, "We're here to help you! Hello!"

It had been nine days. Nine whole days since the fall of Sawa, and everything was a mess. The main castle still burned and smoldered relentlessly until the flames themselves decided to burn out. Families were separated during the raid of Kikiyo's demented creations, and all the more deranged followers. She had killed just about everyone within the main compound of the castle. There were many innocent people dead too, but most were weak, injured and on the verge of dying, while many were simply missing.

"Aye . . . Aye! I think I've found somethin' over 'ere!"

I turned to where the group of other rescuers began to crowd around. When I approached, they were all mumbling, talking in whispers as the field doctor looked over the dirty and mangled form found.

"There isn't much we can do for the boy." The doctor stated as she rose and shook her head. "Maybe if Shidomoto were still alive . . ." she let out a soft sigh. "Set a mark so we can collect him later after the storm's passed."

A red flare burst to life and my stomach felt as if it were filled with lead. Yeah, I was that good of a fucking doctor, alright. Tsunade-hime of Konoha may have held the reputation for being the best, but when it came down to it, I was really the best–

* * *

"Wait one goddamned minute here," Tsunade snapped as she pushed on Kenjima's shoulder.

"What?" he said as he turned to her. "I am the one telling the story. It's my way or the highway, babe."

Scowling, Tsunade poked her finger in his chest and said, "You either get the facts right on your own, Shidomoto, or I'll make sure you never even _think_ about talking shit again."

"Rawl, lady cougar." He bit his bottom lip, and said, "No wonder Jiraya-sama was so into you."

"Do you want me to hit you like I used to hit Jiraya?" she cracked her knuckles.

Kenjima smiled, "Back to the story!"

* * *

A red flare burst to life and my stomach felt as if it were filled with lead. Yeah, I was that good of a fucking doctor, alright, but Tsunade-hime of Konoha was the best. The only thing that made me _almost_ ( is that better ) as good as Konoha's slug princess, was the fact that I was a medical scientist . . . or at least Shidomoto Kenjima was the person who I no longer was. I now was Ichikita Kenji, a farmer caught up in the raid and looking for his lost family.

This kid that laid in the mud, he was another life . . . another life that would be added to the death toll; a toll that included my own family . . . my own identity. I couldn't help him, because I was no longer Shidomoto. I was no longer a doctor.

"Sasuke . . ."

It was a mutter, a word barely echoed upon the howling winds. I heard it. Over the shouts, the grumble of lightning overhead, and the constant fall of rain I heard him. That is what drew me near to the glow of red when the rest of the rescue team scattered out and away like rats.

The dim light of the flare cast an eerie glow on the poor soul. The dark stain of blood covered most of his form. His clothes looked shredded, all ripped, and torn exposing the pail glow of skin beneath.

". . ." one, glistening eye stared hard into mine. "Sss . . ."

"What?" I asked and knelt down next to the battered form.

Lightning decided to illuminate the sky and cast a brilliant bright glow over the dark abused lands. The usual one to two seconds altered, as the light from the electricity high overhead danced within the clouds kept the land lit long enough for me to see the boys full form.

He had been destroyed.

How or why he still even moved stupefied me. How he could even speak with his throat slashed as it was, with how his chest was gorged . . .

A bloody hand gripped my wrist. _Kami-sama_ help me, I could feel his bones graze the flesh of my skin. That eye . . . that glistening eye bore into my soul as a burning chill raced down my spine.

"Sasuke." he said before his eye rolled back into his skull exposing the white and his hand dropped limp.

I was sure the boy was dead, but you can't just kill the years of studies. Automatically my training took over me. I checked his pulse and was amazed to feel a slight, very slow pulse. The boy was still alive. I then went about doing a quick diagnostic jutsu on him, only to be further shocked. He was healing at an astonishing rate.

The flare hissed when I smashed the burning tip into the mud. Cautiously I looked around. I could hear distant echoes of the rescuers still out, searching for any other missing persons. Gently as I could, I picked up the boy. As I stood tall, bracing myself against a sudden gale of ferocious wind, I saw it. Crimson glowing reflective eyes of the swamps most dangerous and elusive of creatures, the _Sawa no Kitsune_.

I was sure that it saw an easy meal, being that a swamp fox was no small creature. They were as large as horses with pitch black fur that was silvered at the tips. You couldn't really see them in the dark woodlands around unless light reflected off their scarlet eyes. Most fed off carrion, flesh that it had killed and let set within pools of stagnating water, similar to the gargantuan sloth-gators and stump-shelled snapping turtles done. The foxes of the swamp also liked to climb trees and ambush their prey from above. They were very limber, having long thin legs and were said to be able to stand on their hind legs much like a bear. It was even said that these unique creatures were the offspring of the _Kyuubi no Yoko_ . . . but I don't know whether to believe that or not.

The stench of death from the boy possibly lured the swamp fox to us, but to my surprise, the creature didn't attack. Instead, it seemed to be pleased. Its glistening eyes were highly intelligent, calculating, watching me as I felt frozen in place. When it turned and vanished into the night, I too took my leave and quickly navigated out of the marsh with the boy in my arms.

It took the rest of the night to clean up the boy I came to call, JD, short for John Doe. His head had been crushed, by what, I still don't know. The damage though extended to his face. JD lost his right eye, and possibly would need reconstructive surgery. His back had been broke in three places, both arms possessed completely shattered bones, and his legs were in similar shape. The boy even had two pieces of his ribs completely missing, and when it came to his organs . . .

"How the hell are you still alive?" I asked his unconscious form, myself completely bewildered.

I was sure that even though I cleaned him up and made him medically comfortable with sedatives, he wasn't going to make it through the night.

"What do you think, Momo?" I asked the tot as she only blinked at me from her crib. I shrugged, and said, "I don't know either."

The night passed, and he was still breathing the next morning. I figured he might not make it through the next night. Momo didn't really have any opinion on the matter either.

"I think that boy will surprise you, Ken-kun." said Toratsume as she stood over the teen and stared down at him.

And . . . Toratsume was right.

JD was still alive after the next night, and then the next . . . after the fourth day of him still breathing, I began to wonder what the hell this kid was. I never thought back to Lady Mizuki's words, until three days later, when I was redressing his wounds.

"HOLY KAMI!" I screamed, nearly jumping out of my shoes when JD suddenly grabbed me, that single bright blue eye boring into my own. My heart was pumping, my hand on my chest as I wondered if maybe I was on the verge of having a heart attack.

"Make it stop!" he pleaded, his voice nothing like a young man, but all throaty and gravely from injury. Tears welled and poured from his eye as he stared at me.

"W-What?" I asked as I overlooked him, and hoped that I hadn't hurt him when I was changing his dressings.

"The pain," JD whined. His entire form shook and jerked as he cried, "Make this pain stop and go away!"

Chakra instantly surged, and I summoned it to my hands as I said, "Tell me where it hurts, and I'll heal what I can."

His crippled fingers tapped his chest as he uttered, "Here . . . it hurts here . . ."

"Your chest?"

JD shook his head, and muttered, "My heart . . . Make the pain stop in my heart."

I placed my hands on his chest, only I couldn't find anything wrong. Not with his heart anyway . . . unless . . .

"It's not physical pain, is it?" I asked him.

JD nodded his head, and then cried, "Just make it stop . . . make the pain stop . . . I don't want to feel this anymore. I don't want to keep feeling this way . . . please make it stop."

"I-I can't do anything," I told him. "I don't even know what I could do to help you."

"He killed her . . . and betrayed me . . . my brother betrayed everyone . . ." the boy ranted. "I just want it to end . . . for the pain to stop. Please, just make it stop." His hand gripped mine, his eye again boring into my very soul. "Make it stop. Make the pain go away. Kill me. Please, just kill me."

Blank.

That was all my mind could do was blank out on me. I was a doctor . . . I _saved_ lives, I didn't end them.

His grip lessened, as he cried and looked away from while repeating those words, begging me to end his life, to extinguish his existence. I stepped back and bumped into Momo's crib. I glanced at her, only to see that she too was staring at me now.

"What do you expect me to do?" I asked her.

She frowned and looked at the broken boy that lay on the cot center of the room. "Make it go away," he mumbled. "Make me forget it all. I don't want to feel this way . . ."

_Forget, _I thought. _I wish I could forget all of my pain and regrets too . . ._

My eyes widened.

_What if . . . No, that would be wrong. But . . . But was it possible to do such a thing?_ I moved back to him, again channeled chakra to my hands. I was hesitant at first, asking myself, _What are you doing? What do you even care? _

Why did I care? What drew me to this kid anyway? Why did I bring him home? Was it because he was an anomaly, a new project that I could experiment on, and work with . . . or was it something else?

"It'll be alright now, kid." I placed one of my glowing green hands on his forehead, the other over his heart. "I'll make it all go away."

"Please," He uttered, that one eye was glassy and dilated in pain. "Make it all go away. . ."

I nodded. "Okay."

Days later, I stood over this John Doe, this seventeen-year-old boy whom I knew nothing about . . . but now I knew _everything _about.

His name was Uzumaki Naruto.

His birthday was on October tenth.

His mother was the Bloody Habinaro.

His father was the Yellow Flash.

He was a _genin_ ranked ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village.

He was also, a _jinchuuriki,_ the container for the _kyuubi no kitsune_ at that.

He was hunted by the _Akatsuki_ most of his teenaged life.

He was a freakin' _**Sage**_ of all things!

His best friend killed his teammates.

His best friend tried to kill him, and then just left him for dead.

I couldn't believe the life that he had lived in such a short span of time . . . All of those things . . . good and bad times, bonds, memories, his own name . . . he wouldn't remember any of it . . . at least not for a while. I didn't just wipe out his mind, no that would have been cruel. Instead, I gathered up his memories, left key functional and social skills behind so he wouldn't be like a "baby" and have to relearn everything, and compressed them and hid them within his very own mind.

Basically, I gave him amnesia, and if any mind-benders went into his mind, they would see just that. Trauma educed amnesia.

I ran my hand over his disfigured, heavily bandaged head. "Go ahead, and just forget it all, Naruto. Let the pain be forgotten, and I'll let you become forgotten."

It had been a good two weeks. Two weeks and this kid was just freaking me out with how he healed. I myself was mystified but knew it had something to do with the great beast that resided within him. I was sure by this point that this guy was the person that the old priestess Lady Mizuki was talking about now . . . but I wasn't sold with the destiny thing. At least not yet.

A week prior, Naruto's insides were what I would have considered goo. Now, he had a fully functional system. Lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen, nerves, intestines, bladder, veins and arteries, stomach, and every other part of his innards that once were destroyed were now as if he had never been harmed. Oh, there were still bright angry red blemishes on his skin, but I just couldn't believe how his body was healing as it was.

"He's special like you are," I told the toddler. "Only where you possess a legitimate limit, he has no bloodline and an unlimited power due to the fox inside of him. Fox's are something special, _hime_, just remember that. They exist on and in both worlds, meaning they are able to bridge the world of the living and the world of the dead. They a symbol for life, and an omen for death."

Like always, she just blinked at me with those intelligent eyes. I think she got what I was saying though, 'cause Momo never talked. It was due to trauma she went through, and don't say that it doesn't happen, because it does. The girl did witness the death of her parents . . . the very people whom I couldn't save. The very people whom the toddler highly resembled.

"I'm sorry," I told her.

I found myself doing that quite often. Apologizing to her for something that I couldn't control, something she didn't even blame me for. I felt my insides melt when she rested her small hand on mine, and just smiled up at me. It really warmed my heart . . . and brought on memories of my son at her age. Yousuke's death really sank in after that, and for the rest of that night, I mourned.

I couldn't just drink my life away, not with me taking care of Momo. I couldn't sit around and cry either. Naruto helped me in that area because my thoughts were always on him and his recovery. The back draw though, was that every time I looked over him, I realized how much this boy resembled Yousuke. This boy, he was close to my dead son's age, similar in height, and appearance . . .

Three more days passed and Naruto's skin returned to normal, leaving no blemish or scar behind. It was simply amazing. After another four days, the shattered bones in his arms and legs were mended, almost as if they'd never been broken at all. Even his missing rib bones had returned, his back good as new, and the damage to his skull was slowly, but steadily repairing itself. It was much slower than the rest of Naruto's body, and it didn't help that I had compressed and hid the majority of his memories. He'd still be able to interact, but Naruto would have no idea who or what he was.

He'd just be a boy. A teenaged boy with no past, no memories, and no reasoning to exist. I watched him as he slowly breathed, and couldn't help but feel my heart sink. He reminded me a lot of my son, and it made me wonder . . . would they have been friends if they had ever met?

Yousuke was a normal civilian while Naruto was a _shinobi_. Their lifestyles would have defiantly clashed, for Yousuke was a liberal for his nation, while Naruto was a tool for his state. But, then again Naruto was a liberal in his own rights, not following any strict codes . . . he had his own _nindo, _his own ninja path.

"I think you both would have made good buddies," I told Naruto as he slept, completely oblivious to the world that kept turning, that kept moving without him interacting with it. "Yousuke believed that the world could one day come together too. That one day, there would be no more strife, no more famine, no more war . . . He too believed in peace."

Naruto would be waking up soon. What would I tell him then? Who would he be? I made this boy Naruto forget the life that pained him . . . I wondered, could I make him remember a whole other life? One not even his own?

"No," I spat at myself one night as I pushed away from the sleeping boy's bed. "That would be wrong. Immoral!"

_But, _a small voice in the back of my mind whispered, _it would be like having a second chance. Even though it isn't the same, you could make up for everything that you lost. The things that you could have had, that Naruto could have had . . . you can make it happen by doing this. Remember, Kenji-boy. This is your destiny. This is Momo's destiny and Naruto's destiny. Take that step . . . and make your destiny._

"Yes . . ." I mumbled, lost between rationality and insanity. "Yes, that's right . . ."

And yet still I wondered . . . if what I was doing, if what I was going to do to him was it really right.

Naruto might have grown up alone and without acknowledgment, but he did eventually gain friends and people he considered very precious to him. Was it really okay for me to take those things from him, to hide them from him to just satisfy the needs of _Sawa no kuni_? To give Momo the guardian the Elder claimed would protect the princess? To satisfy my own needs in just perhaps having a portion of my son back, to have a second chance at what I failed at doing? Was it right?

I closed my eyes. "Of course this isn't right . . . so I'll lie, and say that it's alright."

I started preparations. Basic layouts and brainstorming, going over formulas to be absolutely sure that I wasn't going to end up destroying this boy's mind. Tora again saved the day by babysitting, which I don't think she minded too much. She had really grown attached to Momo over the few days that I had her and was also curious about Naruto.

My mind wandered to a point that I didn't even realize where I tripped on a small stone wall. I held up the lantern, feeling melancholy set in as I stared at the still-fresh soil that stood in three mounds before me. The graves were of my wife and son, and then one marked as mine held the body of the real Ichikita Kenji, a rural farmer with no background in Swamp Country.

My family layout before me, each in their own casket, available to me to do whatever I needed to those within.

But, was I really going to do this?

Was I really going to dig up my son's resting place, uncover his corpse to then remove his brain so I could extract his memories, his feelings, his own experiences from it and download them into Naruto's blank slate of a mind?

_Why am I even doing this?_ I thought in a panic.

Seriously, _why_? Why should I even do this? To desecrate my son's memory . . . to try and turn this other boy, to turn Naruto into Yousuke . . . and to top it all off, turn him into Momo's brother.

But, why did I still have Momo? Wasn't there someone else more qualified to keep her, to protect her? And if so, and even if not, why even choose me?

There were just so many questions and gut feelings of denial that . . . I had to take a scientific approach to this.

_If I do this and accomplish my goal, I will have surpassed any doctor, any scientist within my era, and even era's beyond mine. _I thought as I gazed upon my family's coffins. _Is this right though? Am I really going to doing this, and if so, why? What is my motivation?_

"To have a family again . . ." I uttered, hearing my voice echo around me in the still darkness, sounding as if it wasn't my own. Naruto might not have been Yousuke . . . but I could make him as close as possible. I . . . could have a portion of my son back. I rested my hand on Riza's mound, and said, "Forgive me, my Love."

"Who's this?" the orderly asked as I wheeled Naruto in on a stretcher. I was disguised of course. If you're wondering about Momo, well don't worry. She was being babysat by Toratsume again.

"Don' really know," I told the man in a rough accent. "I just do as I'm told."

He looked at the forged chart that I expertly, might I add, created. He nodded, and said, "Ichikita . . . huh . . . Bring 'im this way."

I'd figure it'd be best to take Naruto to the nearest clinic. I would have taken him to the hospital I once supervised, but I was worried the staff might recognize me. Even with the reconstructive jutsu I did on myself they would still know that it's me, because of my eyes, and my perfect teeth of course. (What? They are perfect!)

They placed Naruto in a room with three other patients, who like him were unconscious and in a comatose state. When I left, I glanced back at him once more . . . _It's not right. . . even though it's a lie, it'll be alright._ It was then I saw the name tags on the walls. Next to Naruto's room, there was an Ichikita. My stomach instantly twisted in knots. The orderly signed the paperwork, when he glanced at me staring into the other room. It was empty on the exception on a little girl. She was just a little thing, seven years old, long brown hair, and sad placid blue eyes.

"Eh, what happened to 'er?" I asked, watching the girl as she kept completely still on her bed, a blanket wrapped around her form, her knees tight to her chest and arms hugging her legs tightly.

"Oh . . . It's a messed up story with that one. See, she wasn't in the raid in Sawa, she's a refugee from Rain Country. Her family got caught in that damn ninja war. The story is that her family was captured by enemy ninja, and they decided to "play" with the captives." my eyes widened. "Yeah, sick huh." the orderly grumbled as his eyes scowled. "They forced the girl to watch as they killed off each of her family members one by one. They then decided to rape and torture her afterward, then left her for dead. She gets pretty hysterical if ninja gets in her sights. If one touches her she just freezes up and starts to cry. She's done beyond repair. Hopefully the guy you brought in is related, otherwise, there is no reason for keeping her here."

I looked to the orderly and said, "Beyond repair?" He nodded his response. It made my stomach burn with the lack of compassion in this place. "What's 'er name?"

"Ahh," he looked at the chart. "Oh, Hazuki. She'll be heading to another clinic before long, one that can handle the unstable ones like her, less someone claims her within the next week."

"Hazuki," I mumbled.

"Normally we don't let people just randomly wander around the clinic, Mr. Ichikita, but there are so many dislocated families that it has been easier to just let families have a walkthrough of the clinic to see if they see any familiar faces." the nurse said as I propped Momo up on my hip more. "You're one of the lucky ones though, eh?"

"Lucky, yeah," I mumbled.

It had been a solid week since I left Naruto here at the clinic, and I was hoping that he was still here. I had a lot of work to do in only a couple of day's time.

The nurse moved her face closer toward me as she mumbled, "I hear that ninja all the way from _Konohagakure no sato_ are on their way here too. Supposedly they're looking for some lost kid named Naruto." She laughed as I cut my eyes to her, lead falling into my stomach. "Seriously, who names their kid that?"

I merely shrugged. It was at that moment that Momo suddenly latched onto me. I paused and looked down at her. Her bright eyes were locked onto a door that was cracked open. I couldn't see in the room, but Momo could. She looked up at me, then pointed to the room. On the door, the marker read, _Ichikita_.

"Okay, let's start there," I said.

The nurse walked on, not even noticing that we had left her to carry-out her conversation alone. I pushed the door open a bit wider, and was blinded by sunlight. It eased off when I rose my hand to block the onslaught of light. It was then that I saw him. Yousuke, watching me as he lightly smiled, nodding to me as if everything was going to be okay. Like he wasn't mad at me for what I did, for what I was going to do, for what I had already begun.

"Son . . ."

I lowered my hand, and again the light blinded me and washed away my dead son's image. It was then I saw Naruto, standing before the window, looking at me with that single blue eye.

I smiled apologetically, "Hello, there."

His head was still bandaged, along with the right side of his face, but I could see strands of bright sun-yellow hair beneath the bandaging. He became apprehensive and crossed his arms.

"You're not another one of those psychiatrists are you?" He asked rather dully.

I was surprised. I wasn't expecting him to be able to speak yet. "No."

"A psychologist?" Naruto questioned highly suspicious.

I laughed, "No. I'm just looking for someone."

Momo shifted on my hip. She was leaning toward Naruto, her arms outstretched, fingers steadily flexing at the teenaged boy as he merely stared at her. I wasn't expecting the bright smile to cross his whisker-lined face, or for him to come over to her and pick her up.

"Hey, you want me to hold ya there, peach-fuzz," He chortled, holding the girl up before him. As if he did it all his life, he propped her on his right hip and allowed her to latch her arms around his torso. He looked at me and said, "It's weird. The kids around here hound me all day long for me to play with them and I don't know why."

"Really," I mumbled, perplexed. "Maybe that's why Momo wanted to come in here to see you. If it's a bother–"

"NO!" he shouted, suddenly holding Momo to him, as she too clung onto him.

Both looked at me as if I might separate them forever, which completely stupefied me. I hadn't even begun to alter Yousuke's memories into Naruto's mind yet, let alone thread a fake emotional bond between them, and already something between Naruto and Momo had grown. I wasn't sure when that happened, but it had to have been when I kept him at the house with Momo. How or why this happened, I honestly don't know.

Naruto said, "I really don't mind her!" his voice became as sad and lonely as his features as he mumbled, "I really like the company . . . I don't like being alone. It's kind of scary, 'cause I can't remember anything that happened to me. I can't remember any of my family and, I don't know my friends . . . I can't even remember who I am, just that I'm Ichikita Yousuke." He shrugged, and took to looking at Momo as he mumbled, "The doctors say it's like I have a blank mind."

"A blank mind," I uttered. "How interesting."

"Not really," Naruto replied. He then smiled at Momo as she stuck her tongue out at him. He glanced at me and said, "'Cause there's nothing in there that's interesting."

I chuckled, which pleased him. I smiled and asked, "So, you wouldn't mind watching her real quick, would you? I have to go check on my other daughter."

"You have two daughters? Sucks to be you." Naruto said as Momo took to tugging on his bandages, to then try and wrap them around her own arms and head. "That's double trouble when they get older." he laughed, "Good luck with that."

"Yes, two daughters, but I have a son too. An older son who helps to protect his sisters." I told him. "And a good military pick that I can use to scare the boys away when the time calls for it."

"Oh . . . I bet that'd be cool–not the pick thing, but to be a brother . . . a big brother." Naruto mumbled. He looked at Momo and said, "Your brother better be strong so he can protect you, 'cause your going to be a trouble maker. I can see it already. Boy's are going to be lining up, and he's going to have to knock them down."

She merely smiled, showing her teeth as she jerked in silent laughter. Naruto frowned and looked at me. "Hey, what's wrong with her. I just noticed that she doesn't make any sounds. Is she broken or something?"

I laughed. "You could say that," I said. "Like you, she's been traumatized. Only where your trauma has forced you to forget some things, her trauma has made her completely mute. Her vocal cords are fine, it's just she doesn't use them. No matter what, she will not speak, almost like she has taken a vow of silence."

Naruto frowned as he looked at her. "How can a kid this young get so traumatized that they refuse to speak or make noise?"

I headed to the door, and said, "Her mother was holding her, pleading with her to be quite so that the raiders wouldn't find them. She continued to cry unable to help herself, and the raiders found them." Naruto's eye grew round. "Do you understand now?"

He nodded sadly and shifted the girl to his chest. Momo instinctively wrapped her arms around him, while the teen merely held onto her.

"I'll be back." I told him, and again he merely nodded. I felt that he would keep a good eye on Momo, and it would give me time to begin altering Hazuki's memories.

For the past three days, I had been working like a mad scientist. Hmm . . . I like that term, mad scientist . . .

Anyway, it was slightly hard at first, because Naruto was _always_ awake it seemed, and wanting to play with Momo and the other children; Hazuki was so timid that it was just too hard to work on either one of them at the hospital during visiting hours. I had to prepare them in the middle of the night, secretly, and quickly without being caught. Toratsume watched Momo at night when I snuck into the hospital and worked all night long on both Naruto and Hazuki.

It wasn't easy to manipulate the brain, to meddle with one's memories, because there are billions of cells, millions of electrical conductors and receivers, and nothing but bundles of nerves that controlled the body. Though no one would really think it, the human brain connects us and keeps the three parts of us together. Our body, soul, and mind all work harmoniously throughout our entire existence because of the power of our brain, so if something altered this harmony . . . well you get the idea. The body, the soul and the mind can all become highly out of whack and might not work properly. So it's a time-consuming chore, and time was something I no longer had. The ninja from Konoha was now in town, and my time was up . . . for now anyway.

I walked in Naruto's room with Momo holding my right hand and Hazuki holding my left. It wasn't hard to get Hazuki within my care. I only had to place quick, photographic type memories into her mind, along with adding a sense of trust and dare I say, love, into her impulses. This caused her to "remember me," even though she didn't even know me. She was released into Ichikita Kenji's care a mere day ago, into my care.

Now, it was Naruto's turn.

"Morning, there stranger," I told Naruto, as he moved slowly off the bed and just stared at us.

I had worked on him all night, and it wasn't easy trying to download memories into a boy that possessed another entity within him. The nine-tailed fox was a real bastard to work with . . . but, I was able to literally "bypass" the _kyuubi_ and add what I needed into Naruto's mind to force him to suddenly remember Hazuki, Momo and even me.

His single eye was fluttering as I watched, wondering if everything was working right. Wondering if everything would fit and come together as it was supposed to and that there wouldn't be any complications.

I just had to get him out of the hospital . . . then I could finish his and Hazuki's treatments at home.

Hazuki sniffled and glanced at him. "Hello, big brother."

She stumbled forward, her lips quivering as the teen just stared at her. _It's not working! _I thought when Naruto didn't do anything except for stare. Suddenly he fell to his knees before the girl, and my stomach dropped. Kami help me! I broke him!

"_Imooto,_" he cried as a smile creased on his face and he extended open his arms. Momo was first to launch at him, then Hazuki followed, howling as tears fell from her eyes. It wasn't long for all three of them to start balling, Momo's cries being silent of course.

I had to wait two days. TWO DAYS to get Naruto out of the hospital. I was lucky that the Konoha ninja were currently at the main hospital in Aobusato conducting their search there for Naruto, but it wouldn't be long before they came this way.

"I can't wait to get out of this place," stated Naruto as he stretched his arms. "It seems like I haven't been out of this room in ages."

"Can I wash _ani's _hair after the nurse-lady takes off the bandages?" asked Hazuki.

Momo continued to pull on the bandages, while I couldn't help but smile. Was this wrong? What I done, was it really wrong?

"No, you're not washing my hair," grumbled Naruto as he cut his eyes at the girl.

"But it stinks!" Hazuki pointed out.

"So."

"Line up children, it's time to take a picture." I said, causing them to instantly shift upon the bed.

Naruto placed Momo on his lap while she continued to play with the gauze bandaging, as Hazuki wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled as happily as she could. Naruto had a huge smile on his face.

"Cheese!" Hazuki and Naruto chorused together.

The flash went off, and I knew . . . of course what I did was wrong. It was corrupt, immoral even, but it didn't seem that way to me. I had to believe that what I did, it was the right choice. And seeing a boy who once was lonely, who once was alone and didn't have a family to suddenly have one . . . it really touched my heart. (Yes, I do have a heart . . .)

"Okay, Yousuke," the nurse said as she walked into the room. "Let's get those bandages off and get you ready to go home."

"YOSH!" the teenaged boy, no longer known to be Naruto, but now known as Ichikita Yousuke shouted as he punched the air.

It didn't take long for the bandaging to be removed. Within five minutes, a large pile sat upon the metal stand, and the nurse worked on the final wrap that hid away the right side of Naruto's face. She unpacked the gauze from his eye, and his eyes fluttered, and I felt my jaw drop when he opened them. Not just one eye, the left eye, but _both _of his eyes.

"Well this is strange," the nurse mumbled, "He was supposed to be fitted with an eye patch."

"Mistake maybe," I said quickly as I watched him rub his eye and blink it open and closed. I asked him, "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Me, yeah I'm fine," he said with a smile. "It's just . . . I don't know. Feels like I'm using it for the first time, ya know."

The nurse laughed. "Well, it has been bandaged up for quite a while now. It's probably just sensitive."

_Sensitive, because it fully regenerated . . . damn that fox can work wonders! _I thought, completely amazed.

She turned to me and said, "I'll have your withdraw paperwork up here to ya in just a sec, kay, hun."

I nodded, just wanting to get this over with. What the nurse claimed to be "just a sec" turned into four extra hours of waiting. The doctor wanted to make sure everything was all right, and double check Naruto's eyes, and uhg, I was so agitated by the time we did get discharged, that I didn't even notice the _shinobi _wondering about the building.

"Ahh, this is so cool. We're taking a carriage!" shouted Hazuki as she ran up to the large taxi-cart. Momo tried to stomp her way to the team of horses, but Naruto wouldn't let her go marching off on her own. He picked her up and carted her to the cart and let Hazuki help to set her down inside.

"NARUTO!"

Instantly, Naruto turned and stared off into the crowd of people. My heart began to beat like crazy as I felt the lead bomb my stomach. I instantly turned and looked back at the clinic. That was when I saw her. A pink haired girl, looking frantic as she rushed toward us only to be held back by the heavy congregation of traffic. It was all over now . . . My plan, my work . . . all gone.

"Hey, Dad. _Chichi_? You there or are ya spacing out again?"

"Yousuke?" I uttered as I turned back to the yellow-haired teen who was setting in the carriage.

"You alright, Dad?" He asked.

I nodded dumbly as my stomach felt swelled with warmth and delight. I hadn't been called that in what felt like ages. It made me forget about everything . . . about my guilt, about the ninja, about my past life. It reminded me, that I managed to create a whole new life for myself, and three children. _My _children . . .

"Come on, Daddy!" Hazuki added as she glanced out the carriage door. "Let's go!"

The teenaged boy smiled, and asked, "You are coming, right?"

"Yeah, Yousuke, I'm coming, son."


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer**: I did not create, nor do I own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because I imagined them from the inspiration of Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty One: Countdown to Breakdown**

* * *

–_Okay, Back to the Present Time–_

* * *

"I knew it," cried Sakura as she glared at Kenjima as she clenched her fist. "I did see him back then at that clinic in Ganisato all that time ago! It was YOU!"

Tsunade was quick to catch the furious _kunoichi _before she launched herself at the scientist and proceeded to rip him to pieces. "Calm down, Sakura. What happened in the past is water under the bridge."

"But he kept Naruto away from us! Do you know how long I searched for him, even when everyone kept telling me, 'Oh, he's dead,' 'Sakura just give up,' 'Sakura, Naruto's gone!'" the pink-haired woman shouted as tears flooded from her eyes. She pointed at Kenjima and said, "It was because of him Naruto never came home!"

"Sakura, he saved Naruto," said Tsunade as she grasped the young woman's shoulders and stared her in the eyes. "If Shidomoto-san hadn't done what he did, Naruto would have never come home, he would have never come back alive."

Sakura didn't want to hear this. How could Tsunade even side with that bastard? After everything that he did! He hid Naruto and made him forget them all . . . but Naruto did eventually begin to remember them. And Kenjima also gave Naruto something he never had before . . . a family.

"I'm sorry," said Kenji as Sakura turned to him. With deep sympathy and sincerity, he said, "If I could take this all back . . . I wouldn't, Sakura. He gave me the chance to do all the things that I wanted, that I should have done with my own son. It was because of him, that I found my own self, my own path, and carved my own destiny. I might have borrowed him from you for a short time, but I did give Naruto back to you, Haruno-san. I gave him back to you, without him ever knowing how everything ended between you, Sasuke and himself."

Sakura exhaled a shutter as she mumbled, "I wouldn't want him to ever relive that moment ever again . . ."

The glow of chakra dissipated after a long six-hour progression. The white-robed medics rose from their positions, the final signal that their work was done. Sakura went to a large scroll where a chakra imprint of the procedure recorded onto it. Every test that could be conducted through chakra had just been done on the man to try and discover what type of poisoning he might have contracted, and as Sakura went over the findings her eyes widened.

"I want him placed in a secured room," Tsunade told one of the medics, who instantly nodded.

"Oh my god . . . I can't believe we didn't see this! That we didn't realize what was happening sooner," snapped Sakura which caused both Tsunade and Kenjima to look at her as she seemed to be enduring a sudden epiphany.

Kenjima asked, "What have you found, Haruno-san?"

"It's chakra poisoning!" stated Sakura. Kenji looked to Tsunade, who too shifted and turned on her full attention to the pink-haired woman. "I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner . . ."

"Details Sakura!" Tsunade snapped annoyed.

"It's what is affecting everyone. It's not a poison like a venom, toxin, or virus-like we first anticipated. Oh gosh . . . what everyone has, including Naruto is similar to radiation sickness!" Sakura began to rummage around the room as she spoke. "Radiation sickness though has different symptoms depending on how little or much radiation affected the person." –she bounded out of the room and into an office where a bookshelf stood that was fortified with thick tombs and books. She quickly scanned her jade eyes over a lot of new to very worn bindings looking for a certain book– "Low doses cause vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and in some cases hair loss. But with greater exposure, the radiation causes things like cancer, makes the person sterile, and weakens their immune system allowing other diseases to wreak havoc on the body. Severe exposure causes death within hours . . ." She ripped the book she was looking for from its place and then took it over to where the two medics stood as she said, " It's tied into a theory I've read about in modern physics research on chakras." –she flipped through pages–"Ah-ha! Here . . . Look. Radiation is the process in which energy travels through a medium or space, to be absorbed by another body, which radiation poisoning is a form of damage to organ tissue caused by acute exposure to ionizing radiation."

Tsunade's face grew grave as she mumbled, "I see now. . . so Kikiyo created a poison that can infect a person's chakra, very similar to how radiation poisoning is but instead of affecting our bodies on a cellular level, it affects our chakra network." Her eyes narrowed as she said, "It's the perfect way to destroy the enemies' body from the inside out."

Kenjima nodded as he said, "It's a very accurate and deadly form of chemical warfare . . . The poisoning isn't in the form of a gas or powder . . . it is a devastating form of chakra. The toxic chakra is sent out in waves similar to that of radiation, and the flower became the medium that expelled the radiation. Through touch, the poisonous energy is absorbed into the body but instead of altering and damaging the cellular tissues, it attaches to the chakra network. In turn, their own chakra began to attack their body when first channeled when–"

"They made hand seals," said Tsunade. "That is why it started from their hands. Spirit and body energies collide and mix, then expand throughout our system. When they make hand seals it draws the chakra to them and molds it into whatever jutsu they're doing.

"But, who's to say they even had to touch the flower. Radiation is a type of energy and moves as waves, rays and even particles . . . They only had to be in the right vicinity of the plant in order to be affected by the waves . . . Damn it all! We have no idea how many people might actually be infected with this shit. If it doesn't activate until after the subject channels chakra, then how many passive people are in the village, just waiting to channel chakra to their doom?" Tsunade stated as her face scrunched up in thought. "Sakura, get someone to go and find out if Hinata has found any of the flowers and to stress to her not to get too close to them. We don't need any more people becoming infected with the poisoning."

"Hai," Sakura uttered as she rushed from the room.

Tsunade watched her leave as she shouted, "And hurry back! I still need you here!"

* * *

–_Within Naruto's Shattering Mind–_

* * *

"RAAH!" Naruto shouted as he swung his fist around and caught Sasuke on his left cheek.

The white garbed, raven-haired teen was quick to counter. Their spar seemed to take ages, neither one being able to overcome the other.

"Why don't you just give up, Naruto!" shouted Sasuke with his eyes blazed, swollen with insanity. "You can't beat me!"

"Shut the hell up!" spat Naruto.

Quickly he shifted his hands and made a hand seal. Two clones poofed into existence. One stood guard as the other began to rotate the chakra Naruto channeled to his hand. Once Sasuke noticed what the blond-haired boy was doing, he sheathed his sword. His hands flashed through the hand seals and then he braced his arm as chakra manifested, surged and began to flash and crackle and chirp.

Blue and black eyes narrowed in unison. Sasuke stepped forward, to then vanish in a burst of blinding speed. The clone keeping guard grasped Naruto's free hand, twirled him around and then shot Naruto like a rocket toward Sasuke. Both clones dissipated within puffs of smoke shortly after their missions were done.

"Rasengan!"

"Chidori!"

As always . . . when both jutsus connected, they merged and grew in power. Blinding light engulfed both boys and expanded. The energy began to rupture, crack and break. Within mere moments it exploded.

Naruto went one way, as Sasuke shot another. Both quickly regained their barring. With their forms steaming from the heat of the explosion, they again charged each other. Sasuke withdrew his sword from its sheath and posed to slice. Naruto stepped back watching the silver and black blade flash before his face. Again he moved back when Sasuke tried to cut him in half vertically. This went on for a good while, until without warning an explosion shot each other away.

Naruto slid to a stop along the ground in a predatory crouch, while Sasuke slammed his sword into the ground to slow his slide. Dust hung heavy in the air, to then whisk away in a gale of wind. Sakura stood from her crouched position within the pother as her pink hair danced over her shoulders. Once all the dust filtered away, it revealed the large crater Sakura stood within; a crater she made with her own fist.

Glaring at Sasuke, she said, "Naruto . . . I thought I told you that we were going to do this together."

"Sakura-chan . . ." panted Naruto as he glared at her. "Don't be stupid! Go back! Get away from here before you get hurt!"

She turned to him, her eyes scowled she snapped, "I am not going to sit idly by and let you do this on your own! He hurt Kakashi and killed Sai!" she turned back to Sasuke with her eyes furious with tears as she shouted, "I'm not going to let you fight him alone, Naruto! I'm not going to let yourself die over the likes of him. We are a team . . . and teammates work together."

Sasuke sneered, "Just try and come at me. Either of you are no match." he smiled and said, "Because I am Uchiha . . ." his eyes grew ablaze with crimson and the black markings of his Sharingan. "I am over both of you."

Naruto snorted and said, "Yeah, 'cause you're head is so full of hot air that you float, _teme_!"

Cracking her fist, Sakura said, "Come on, Naruto. Let's deflate his ego."

In a swift movement of his hands, Naruto clones poofed into existence. And all together the clones swarmed toward Sasuke. The raven haired man danced, sliced his sword through each clone, not even breaking a sweat. Sasuke twisted to strike the next clone, only to have a black-gloved fist crack his right cheek. In a blur of white, Sasuke was launched across the clearing, where Naruto waited.

"Rasengan!"

The glow of spiraling energy grew when it hit Uchiha in his chest. Upon impact, Sasuke's body shattered into a murder of crows.

"Shit!" Naruto gaped when he twisted and turned, just missing the blade that intended to impale him from behind.

Sasuke shifted, twisted around and cut his sword toward Naruto again, only for the scrapes of metal to cling when Naruto's kunai blocked the blade. Sasuke's sword easily cut through the metal of the kunai.

"My blade can cut through anything," sniggered Sasuke.

"Cut through this, bitch." shouted Naruto as he crashed his forehead into Sasuke's face, sending the raven-haired boy stumbling back.

In a shout of rage Sasuke rushed forward, for the ground around him to burst and explode from a sudden bombardment of Sakura's Falling Cherry Blossom bombs. Sasuke was instantly concealed within the thick pink smoke. As dust fogged the air Sakura advanced.

"NOW!" she shouted.

"No," Naruto said impatiently. "Sakura, wait!"

Her fist was tightly clenched as she lunged into the smoke. The sound of a blade easily impaling flesh echoed through the air. It seemed to sound forever within Naruto's own ears as his stomach curled in horror. With his nerves reacting over time, his body quickly numbed, his eyes widened as they watched the smoke slowly dissipate as his breath hitched.

Blood dripped to the ground to then fall in a thick stream. Sakura's eyes were wide as she clenched onto Sasuke's shirt. His eyes were wide too as stared at her. Her body shook just as Sasuke's done . . .

When the remaining bits of smoke cleared, Naruto felt his insides freeze. Sasuke's sword had impaled Sakura. It entered her lower stomach and the tip of the blade pierced out her back through her shoulder blade.

Sakura was expecting some type of pain . . . only there was no pain. She didn't feel anything at all.

Sasuke pulled her closer, gently embracing her as he whispered, "You don't feel anything right now, because my lightning has your nerves unable to transmit the right messages throughout your body . . ." He stepped back and released the handle of his sword.

Sakura instantly screamed and fell to her knees. Her hands anxiously hovered around the blade intent on removing it, but Sasuke grasped the handle and sent a shockwave of electricity throughout her system. The young medic's body convulsed, her eyes rolled back into her head as foam bubbled to her lips.

"STOP IT! You fucking BASTARD!" screamed Naruto as he swung wildly at his former best friend.

Sasuke just laughed as he jerked the blade from the girl's body, and easily moved out of the enraged boy's way. Instead of going after Sasuke though, Naruto caught Sakura's defeated form and retreated a few leaps back from the crazed Uchiha.

"M m, so-Surr," Sakura uttered as her eyes were dilated in a mixture of fear and pain. She couldn't hardly form the right sounds to speak her final words." I . . . I shld, lis. . ."

"Shh, shut up, Sakura," Naruto urged as he pressed in on the wound that continued to seep blood. "J-Just tell me what to do! Tell me how to fix you!"

Sakura gazed up at him and tried to mumble his name as the boy ripped his jacket from him to then press it to her wounds. She smiled up at him and lifted her hand to his face as glistening dark blood pooled out from her like an ominous halo on the ground.

"It-it's okay, Sakura . . . I'll do my best to help you!" said Naruto in a panic as tears steadily leaked from his eyes. "Just tell me what to do!" Gently he held up her head to gain her attention. Softly he said, "Sakura, tell me what to do to fix you."

She stared at him, and with the last of her strength she uttered, "I love you . . ."

Those words were enough to make his heart stop. Sakura's body then relaxed, and her eyes fully dilated and clouded. Her fingers traced his face when her hand fell, and it sent shivers throughout him. Blood no longer gushed from her wounds as she continued to smile at him. She kept smiling at him . . . even in death.

"Sasuke . . ." whispered Naruto.

The blond's body trembled, visibly jerking. Energy swirled, whipped around violently as Naruto softly laid the still form upon the ground. His trembling hands softly closed Sakura's unseeing milky jade eyes that became flat and lifeless.

With blazing red eyes, he turned to Sasuke, as he screamed, "WHAT DID YOU DO!"

Sasuke smiled, until a ring of violent energy blasted him back, sending him tumbling away.

"_**RRRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHH**_"

The ground quaked as the clouds in the heavens above were swept away with turbulent force. Sasuke slowly recovered from the sudden attack of chakra, but when he rose, he came face to face with a monster.

It's wicked golden-red eyes locked onto Sasuke as nine scarlet bubbling tails whipped wildly around, some crashing to the ground forcing the very earth to shake as a gust of wind rushed the area. Naruto had a perfect nine-tailed cloak of demonic chakra covering his form, mingling with the odd flaming form he'd take when tapping into the fox's life energy stored elsewhere.

Naruto snarled, "_**You're DEAD!**_"

With such rage and hate fueling him, Naruto charged. Red chakra bubbled from him, coming from what was left of the demonic fox sealed within him instead of the chakra set aside. At that time, Sasuke too summoned his trump card: Suzanoo. Slowly the chakra skeleton of the mighty archer began to appear. Naruto became more wild as he attacked his former teammate. And it seemed the longer Naruto fought the worst his movements became, and the more Suzanoo manifested around Sasuke.

"You're getting sloppy, Naruto," smirked Sasuke as he dodged a chakra clawed punch.

This only added more fuel to the fire as Naruto roared and charged Sasuke again. Naruto became far to wild, letting his rage control him. When he rushed at Sasuke, the raven-haired teen smirked.

Like a beast Naruto swung his chakra claws at the last Uchiha. He roared and screamed like an animal when all his attacks began to miss and become all the more sluggish. And then it happened. When he rushed Sasuke, the raven-haired boy shifted quickly, and stabbed Naruto.

It was dreamlike when Naruto's fingers touched the blade that pierced his stomach. The chakra flaring around him faded until it was gone. The blade didn't hurt . . . no oddly everything felt numb. A flicker of energy charged from Sasuke's hand, to then run the length of the sword. The numbness vanished, replaced with a jolting, burning, horrible pain that caused Naruto to convolute and scream.

Sasuke's face looked to have been chiseled from stone, "I said before that I let you live on a whim . . ."

Naruto groaned when the sword ripped away horizontally, opening a large gap and expelling the worthless organs inside.

"Now you will die on this very same whim."

Everything blurred when Sasuke brought the sword round. Crimson sprayed from the newly cut gash on Naruto's neck as he began to slowly fall. Energy crackled, rumbling the ground. The last thing Naruto ever heard was Sasuke, as he said, "Witness the purity of my Suzanoo . . . "

The arrow didn't even make a sound when it shot toward him from the tension of Suzanoo's bow. It hit Naruto square in his chest. He crashed into the ground, his body breaking and shattering, crumpling into a pile of worthlessness . . . the very thing he had always been – worthless. And in a blinding array of light, Naruto's form vanished within the explosion of Sasuke's final jutsu.

And, Naruto screamed.

The pain that overcame him was something he never wanted to remember, something he never ever wanted to experience ever again. The raw emotion that coursed through him burned and it was catching everything on fire within his mindscape. The trees burned away, the snow melted and turned into nothingness. Buildings that he once remembered turned into smothering piles of ash as he wanted it all to stop.

For the pain to stop.

"_I can make the pain go away . . ._" said a beautiful voice. "_All you have to do is ask me, Naruto, and I will make all of this confusion stop._"

"**Don't listen to her, Naruto.**" a heavy gravelly voice stated. "**She's trying to trick you.**"

"_Am I?_" the woman questioned, causing the male voice to growl in a gekker. "_The last I recall, dear Naruto, was that the fox always tried to trick you, did it not?_"

Naruto nodded, confused as a rapid replay of he and the fox's relationship rushed before his thoughts. He and the nine-tailed fox never got along . . .

"**Witch,**" the nine-tailed fox growled. "**Stop trying to manipulate him!**"

"_Why, so you can?_" the woman asked. She gently giggled and said, "_Naruto, dear . . . Don't you want to be free of all this? Don't you want all of this misery to stop? To no longer be burdened by this life, by this pain? Just fall away from it all, Naruto. Wish for it to just go away._"

"Go away . . ." said Naruto as if he were in a trance. "To not feel anything anymore."

"_Yes . . ._ _wish to leave . . . wish to_ go _away_ . . ."

"**Naruto, don't do it!**"

Naruto looked out into the nothingness his mind had become as he mumbled, "I wish to go away."

The woman began to laugh as a pain-filled roar quaked from someplace within the darkness. Then he didn't feel it anymore. There was no more pain. There were no feelings left anymore . . . and Naruto felt himself fade away.

Like sand his skin began to fall, muscle and blood turned into weightless particles that disconnected from him and blended into the nothingness around him. His entire body quickly vanished, leaving behind nothing but bone. As he somehow still managed to gaze upon his own skeletal hands, Naruto collapsed to his knees, only for him to feel his own self shatter and break into billions of pieces . . .

He was nothing . . .

Nothing

* * *

Ino sat upright in the chair as her hand instantly went to her large swollen stomach. She breathed evenly as the sharp pain that woke her from her nap was gone as quickly as it came. Gees, this was getting to be for the birds. For the past couple of days now these false labor contractions were really driving the poor girl nuts. She glanced around at the empty office where there was tons of records and paperwork to catch up on . . .

Heavens, she was so tired.

The blonde-haired woman leaned back in her seat, only to cry out when another sharp pain ripped through her stomach. She sat up, thinking that perhaps she was just moving wrong . . . With a sigh Ino pushed herself out of the seat, and instantly she felt a bit better. Maybe she had been sitting down for too long?

"Ino?" she turned to the door, just as her husband walked in with a large scroll tucked under his left arm and four others beneath the right.

"Please tell me that you don't have more paperwork for me, because if you do, I will go completely postal on everyone here." Stated Ino as she straightened and went to the coffee pot.

Sasuke laughed. "No, this isn't work for you. It's for me." Ino made an O shape with her mouth and nodded in response, as he said, "Hinata and her team found a strange specimen of flower. They're calling it the Internal Flame-"

"The one they think is causing these strange sicknesses?" Ino interrupted.

"Yes . . . And I don't want you anywhere near it." he stated with such authority that Ino cringed. "Hyuuga's confirmed that the Internal Flame is broadcasting strange particle waves that pass through the human body and attach to the nerves of the chakra network. The radiation is harmless, until the subject creates and channels chakra. Then the radiation activates and becomes absorbed into the flowing chakra, infecting it and making it so the chakra begins to attack the subjects own body."

"Oh my god," mumbled Ino as her stomach dully throbbed. She unconsciously began to rub her hand over it as she mumbled, "Do they have any way of knowing who's infected and who's not yet?"

Sasuke shook his head and mumbled, "No . . . Are you alright, Ino? You look . . . droopy."

"Droopy?" she hissed as she narrowed her eyes at him. "What the hell does that mean? Are you saying that I'm less attractive now? That I've lost my mean-lean figure and now my body is getting all saggy and droopy?!"

"Heh, no. I'm not saying that, Ino." Sasuke sat the scrolls down on the counter and went to her. His dark eyes were calculating as he gently ran his hand over her large tummy and mumbled, "It's dropped."

"What?" Ino mumbled slightly perplexed as she placed her hands on her hips.

Sasuke stared her in the eyes as he said, "The baby. It's dropped. It's not up here below your breast anymore . . . it's dropped down closer to your lower stomach . . . Have you been feeling okay today?"

Ino winced when again that sharp pain trickled across her stomach, and then raced down her back. She almost fell to her knees on that one, but Sasuke had a tight hold on her, and kept her up on her feet.

"Ino, how long has this been going on?" asked Sasuke, tone slightly ticked as he scowled at her.

"A couple of days . . . But that's not important right now . . ." Ino mumbled as her body shook. Fear was evident in her voice as she said, "I think my water just broke . . . and it is starting to really hurt now! _Kami_, it's like a snake is constricting around my stomach, trying to squeeze everything out of me!"

Before she knew it, Ino was scooped up into his arms and they were in the halls, heading down to the second floor. Ino was on the verge of freaking out as she began to breathe the way she often told other laboring mothers to breathe in the past.

"Calm down, Ino," stated Sasuke as he glanced at her and smiled. "It's still going to be a little while before the baby comes. Your contractions aren't that close together, and they're irregular."

"Don't use my own lines on me!" Ino pouted as they rounded another hall and then began down a flight of stairs. "And I am calm thank you . . . I just wasn't expecting this to happen so soon. I had another two or three weeks left!"

"Two weeks before or after the set due date, dear." reminded Sasuke, causing the woman to glower at him.

"If you don't stop being so smirky, I'm going to beat the crap out of you – Hey . . . do you smell that?"

"What?" asked Sasuke as he stopped within the middle of the second-floor hall before the nurses' desk. "Smell what?"

Ino sniffed the air, smiled and said, "Mmm . . . I smell popcorn."

"Is something the matter sir," one of the nurses asked as she glanced at them. She then noticed Ino and said, "Doctor Uchiha? Is there something wrong?"

"No, not that I would consider wrong," Ino said as she smiled. "But think I'm fixing to have my baby. Can you please contact those on my list, and tell Sakura to get her big-wide ass in here, please. Thank you!"

* * *

_Sniff, sniff. _

Momo didn't know what to do. She rubbed her swollen eyes once more, only to feel another sob rack her small form. Her brother was in the hospital and no one would tell her what was going on. It had been such a long time . . . a whole day now and the night was swiftly approaching again. No one even seemed to notice she was there . . .

"Momo-chan . . ."

She looked up to see team thirteen. Haruka looked so tired and different with her hair partially white and bright neon green. The holy boy Shahoumaru wasn't even in his shrine garbs. He was wearing a black t-shirt that had the symbol of Konoha on it and a pair of khaki shorts. Hike was in his civilian school clothes, and when Momo Saw him, she felt another wave of tears and sadness overcome her.

In a pitiful cry, Momo threw herself at Hike. The fiery-head boy was so much stronger than her! If only she were as strong and brave as he was! Hike easily caught her when she crashed into him, and gently pulled her to him in a hug.

"Shhh, it's okay, Momo-chan. Sakura sensei and Lady Tsunade are taking care of your brother. Everything's going to be fine." Hike stated as he felt the girl embrace him tightly, and soften her crying. He lifted her up from him gently and began to wipe her tear stained face as he said, "Come on now, let's get you feeling better, and then I'll take you to go see your brother."

"Are you going to be okay with her?" asked Shahoumaru.

Hike nodded, "Yeah, I'll be fine."

Haruka said, "Okay. We're going home now. Tell Sakura sensei that we'll be back bright and early."

"Okay," mumbled Hike to then call back to them, "Don't forget. No using chakra!"

"We know," his teammates said together.

He watched his teammates leave as Momo once more reduced herself to sniffles. "Do you know where your sister is?" he asked.

Momo shook her head and signed, "She went to a friend's place a couple of nights ago. That's all I know."

"I can go find her if you want." the red-haired pre-teen offered.

"Stay here with me," Momo signed to then timidly take his hand in hers. "Don't leave me here alone. I don't want to be alone anymore. It's scary."

"I know," mumbled Hike as he cast his green eyes into her dark brown ones. He smiled and said, "And I'll stay right here with you. I Promise, Momo-chan."

Momo smiled and signed, "Thank you, Hike-kun. Do you know anything about _ani_?"

"Yeah, they put him in ICU recovery sometime yesterday. No one's allowed to visit him . . . but, I was gonna sneak you in, 'cause I didn't think it could hurt . . ."

"I don't want you to get in trouble, Hike-kun," the peach-haired girl signed.

"How are we going to get in trouble if we don't get caught?" he asked, a devilish smirk creasing on his freckled face.

For the first time that day, Momo giggled. Hike took her through the hospital, and even evaded security when they reached the floor Naruto resided on. The red-haired boy glanced down the hall, finding it empty of its usual nurse and medic personnel.

"Huh," Hike mumbled as he pulled Momo around the corner and proceeded down the darkened hall. "Everyone must've gone on break."

Momo frowned, and signed, "I don't know about this, Hike-kun . . . I have a bad feeling about this."

"Ah, there's nothing to be worried about. He is your brother, so you have every right to see him." stated Hike as he stopped before a door. He placed his hand on the handle and smiled at Momo as he said, "Besides, I think he'll like having company, even though he's unconscious, don't you?"

Momo nodded and sniffled once more before a small smile creased her lips. Hike silently opened the door, and both children listened. There were no sounds within . . . Not even the sounds of medical equipment.

_Something's wrong_, Hike thought as he pushed the door open.

Hike let Momo's hand go and stepped into the room first. He was cautious as he glanced around, checked under the bed and even the bathroom and closet to see if anyone might have been hiding in the room, only it was empty. Empty on the exception of the unconscious form that lay on the bed.

Momo frowned deeper as she went to her brother's bed side. He looked so pale and sick . . .

"Ani," Momo mumbled as she brushed her fingers along the skin of his hand.

Ew . . . he felt so . . . weird. It wasn't smooth and soft. His skin was all rough-like. When nothing happened and she thought he wasn't going to respond, tears burned at her eyes, but then . . . his index finger flinched. Hike nudged her and smiled.

"I told ya that he'd be okay. Sakura sensei is the best!" stated Hike with pride.

Momo nodded, knowing that Hike was right about his sensei . . . only there was something wrong. There was still something wrong with her brother. The peach-haired girl jolted when the man on the bed let out a deep groan. Neither child saw the thin vines that crept along the floor, and curled toward their feet.

* * *

The sun had long set, and the evening's darkness had claimed the hidden village. Thick clouds concealed the heaven, hiding the full moon that was somewhere up above and made the land humid and warm. A flash of lightning appeared, illuminating the dark clouds with a bright burst of bluish-white light to then again fade into darkness. After nine seconds thunder softly growled.

"Nine miles out . . ." mumbled Kakashi as he leaned against the banister.

He continued to gaze over the village with his single eye and let out a soft sigh. He pushed off the banisters railing and couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right. That something, somewhere, was wrong.

He could just make out people walking along the streets and the dim yellow lighting from homes, businesses and street lamps. Everything sounded, smelled, and at the moment looked normal . . . Only, there was this _feeling. _This gut feeling that something wasn't right.

Kakashi let out a sigh and said to himself, "Maybe all of this with Naruto and the epidemic has me on edge. My nerves are just maxed out . . . Argh . . . I'm too old for this shit . . ."

"HOKAGE-SAMA!" screamed a _chunnin_ as he burst through the doors. Kakashi instantly turned to the man who panted, pointing to the outdoor's and shouted, "The force field around the village, Hokage . . . It's been disrupted. It was during the shift when some creature attacked . . . A demon came in and killed them! A monster, Hokage-sama! A cat-woman!"

Kakashi's eye widened. _So she's finally come . . . And Naruto's still down . . . Well, this was her plan all along . . . _ "Reinforce the gates and start evacuation of the villagers. Get every _shinobi_ to their stations now. She's come."

"Yes sir!" the _chuunin_ shouted as he vanished in a blur of chakra smoke.

* * *

Note that the note below is a seriously OLD note. Like from when I originally posted this in 2011/2012.

***Notes***

Things might start to get confusing because I'm jumping ahead in time with the scenes. It's not that I'm being lazy, it is just I literally have nothing to write in between these points of time. I have a quick synopsis to help with the confusion.

Naruto's mindscape: he's being placed into his own private room. Sakura meets up with Hinata.

6 to 7 hours pass when we get into Sasuke and Ino's scene, which brings up the info with Hinata and the flowers.

We jump ahead again. 36 to 38 hours pass since Naruto's been admitted and we go into Momo's scene with Hike.

Now between that span of time . . . A lot of different things can happen that I just didn't write about.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer**: I did not create, nor do I own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because I imagined them from the inspiration of Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Two: The Rise of Hell**

It was one of those basic normal nights . . . on the exception of the dense fog. It made everything distort and look unnatural and unreal. As if perhaps Hazuki had stepped into some type of supernatural realm or horror movie.

"I've never seen so much fog like this before," said Mikado as he glanced around at the hidden buildings around him and his friends.

Mikado was the tallest of the four, having dark jet black hair and a set of azure blue eyes. He was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a designer tee. Chiku was his girlfriend. A girl with deep indigo hair, ivory skin, and acorea pearl-white eyes. Chiku was from the prominent Hyuuga clan, but was not of the main house, was not a ninja, and didn't bare the curse seal like the older generations of the branch house did. She was just a normal civilian.

Chiku mumbled, "I've seen it like this before. When cool air from an approaching storm hits us, the rising heat from the hot springs makes this happen. It turns the village into a sauna just before a terrible storm comes."

"This is a bad omen," said Hazuki as she rubbed her arms and kept her dark-blue eyes on the ground. "I just have this horrible feeling ya know . . ."

"Do you want to go home?" asked Takashi.

Takashi was always so understanding. He was a buff, well-muscled boy with brown hair and honey brown eyes. He was also a civilian like the other three teens. Hazuki was working really hard on making him her future boyfriend . . .

Hazuki blushed as she mumbled, "No, not really. I doubt anyone's home right now. Naruto and Momo probably went out to eat . . ."

There was a loud bang that sounded like an explosion but produced no light or flame. The four teens could hear wood fall to the ground along with running water. Then the shouting came.

"What's was that all about?" mumbled Chiku as she glanced at Hazuki.

Hazuki shrugged and said, "It sounded like something collapsed, or maybe a tree fell on a building or something."

"Fu-fu-fu."

The four teens froze in place after hearing the soft childlike laugh. The very sound of it was ominous and not something one would want to hear on a fog veiled street at night. The girl's laugh echoed in the air to slowly fade into silence.

"What was that?" Chiku asked as she ringed her arms around one of Mikado's.

Takashi grimaced and then said, "It's probably one of those ninja kids messing around with us. Come out and face us you chicken!"

"Ooh, brave and strong, nya! You're just my type!"

There was this distinct sound that vibrated through the air. The sound of tearing cloth and ripping flesh was loud against the commotion that took place down the road. Takashi screamed and fell to his knees. Both girl's screamed when they noticed the deep gashes on his back, made from what looked to be some type of claws.

"Takashi? Takashi?! Are you alright!" cried Hazuki as she knelt down next to him.

Something moved through the fog so quickly that it appeared as a mere flash. Then the fog cleared only slightly to reveal a nubile woman within the thick mist. She wore no clothing, and her skin was a deep brown that almost looked black. Her eyes were a deep predatory yellow and glowed as they reflected light. Where human hands and feet were supposed to be, large tawny yellow furred paws with jet-black claws were instead. The same tawny yellow fur ran along the woman's skin, covering her most private of female features in a costume-like array. A lion's tail swayed behind her, while a thick black and yellow mane made the woman appear all the more wild and fierce, and when the cat woman smiled she exposed the long fangs on her lower jaw.

She licked the blood from her claws and shivered in ecstasy. "Such lovely tasting blood . . ."

"What the hell are you!" shouted Hazuki.

"Fu-fu . . . I am the demoness, _Nekomata_, and I have come to reap you of your soul."

In a blur, Nekomata vanished into the heavy fog. Chiku yelped when the cat woman pounced. The Hyuuga girl fell to the ground with a cry as the cat woman sat upon her. Mikado stood still as Takashi looked upon the ground for something to hit the monster with.

Hazuki grasped a brick and held it up as a weapon as she shouted, "Mikado! Help her!"

"Forget you!" he shouted in fear, and then dashed away.

"Mikado! You coward!" screamed Hazuki as instead of throwing the brick at the cat woman, she tossed it toward the boy.

Nekomata grimaced and growled as she narrowed her eyes at the retreating boy. In a yowl, she launched off Chiku and again faded into the fog. As Mikado ran, he glanced back just as Nekomata pounced upon him. Hazuki heard him scream and the cat-woman growl in pleasure in the distance.

She tugged on Chiku's arm and whispered, "Come on. We have to get someplace safe, Chiku. Takashi?!"

"Right here," said he now armed with a long piece of wood that once belonged to one of the buildings.

Hazuki and Takashi helped the Hyuuga girl to her feet and then began to run for safety. Both teens could still hear their friend Mikado pleading, begging for the cat woman to stop. It gave them time to run as fast as they could toward some type of safety. Only where did safety lie?

"This way, Hazuki," Takashi said as he pulled her along toward lights in the distance. "The Malt Shop is up here . . . I recognize the blue lights it has on its sign."

Chiku nodded and said, "I can see it, past the fog. That . . . That cat thing is still behind us . . ."

Hazuki glanced at her and noticed that the girl's strange eyes were very strained now. The veins were bulging around her eyes as it seemed she was trying hard to see everything going on around her.

As the trio ran closer, the sign came more in view.

"We're almost there," Hazuki panted.

Chiku suddenly screamed. Then there was no air . . . actually, there was air. Just the air had been knocked out of all three teenagers when something slammed into their stomachs. The trio fell to the ground dazed and trying to regain their breath.

"Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch."

Hazuki felt herself shake when she heard a soft chattering of teeth. She had heard that sound before . . .

"Like little rats into my trap." said a man with a velvety voice. "I've caught you."

Takashi groaned when from the fog a different creature appeared. Bone and metal armor decorated this creature's gray pale form, along with thick fur cloth upon its legs and feet. It had a thin long sword in its hand that was curved and looked like a large rat's tale. Concealing the man's face was a large rat skull that had a bright red feather/fur mane that trailed down its back and around its neck.

"I remember you . . ." the rat-man said in his musical voice. His voice grew flat as he said, "You were one of the ones with that pink-haired witch that killed me." It grabbed Hazuki's shirt and pulled her close as it asked, "Where is she?"

"I-I don't know!" Hazuki cried. "Sh-She works at the hospital!"

He lifted his sword, only for Hazuki to be ripped out of his grip.

"These are _mine, _Nezumi! Go find your own prey to play with." Nekomata shouted as she jabbed him with a severed arm.

Chiku covered her mouth to keep from screaming when she noticed that the severed arm Nekomata held was Mikado's.

Nezumi smiled, exposing his sharp pointed teeth as he said, "Oh . . . don't worry, kitty. I fully intend to play, especially when the cat is away."

"N-no! Please. Please just let us go!" cried Hazuki as paranoia took control.

She tried to push away. Nekomata growled and slammed her paw over Hazuki's mouth. The girl yelped as her nose gave off a sickening crack. Tears welled to her eyes as Nekomata's claws then embedded into the skin of her face.

"Shh," purred the cat woman as Hazuki glanced back at the sleek mocha-skinned woman that kept a tight hold on her. "Nya, be a good little mouse and make no sound, otherwise I'll rip off your pretty face, fu-fu, and my Mistress doesn't want that, no." The cat woman was purring loudly as she ran her tongue over the blood that began to run down Hazuki's neck, and then said, "She wants your body to be fully intact when she breaks it and recreates it into something so much better . . . Nya. Into something beautiful like me . . ." Nekomata shoved Hazuki away, right into the arms of Takashi. "The three of you are suitable for my Mistress's new army, nya! Especially the one with the all-seeing eyes, fu-fu-fu!"

Chiku shuttered as she grasped Hazuki's hand, and the three teens kept huddled together.

Neko rose her arms and pointed at the three and said, "Seize them!"

Webbed hands closed around Takashi's arms, as a goat-man took hold of Hazuki. Chiku pulled against the skeleton that grabbed her. Hazuki instantly noticed how the minions were nothing like Nekomata or Nezumi. The minions didn't speak, nor seemed to possess any level of intelligence like the other two.

"We can break free of these things," Hazuki said as she glanced at Takashi.

He shook his head. "It'll be okay. We just have to wait for the ninja, Hazuki. They'll take care of this." He stared hard at Nekomata and said, "They'll come for us!"

"Shh," Neko hissed as she backhanded the male. "The Queen is coming!" Nekomata smiled, rose her head and said, "I can _feel _her nearing . . ."

The cat woman giggled, and then leaped onto all fours into the thick fog.

* * *

Lightning flashed across the sky as the wind picked up. Thunder instantly clapped just as a heavy bang rapped upon the large green gates of _Konohagakure no sato_. Everyone near the area grew silent.

"No, no. Keep calm! Everyone keep moving. Be quiet, stay together." Tenten said as she continued to move the line of last of the evacuees toward the mountain. "Stay in line everyone. Keep a hand on the person before you."

There was another loud hit, and the door's shifted slightly inward. Tenten let out a snort of air and shook off the jolt of fear that raced through her. She heard her two old teammates nearby. They were moving fast. Their body's like the wind that whooshed through the trees as they effortlessly used the heavy fog to their advantage and took out the impure creatures before they reached their evacuation line.

"The things that are coming out of the sewers are few compared to the ones that are standing behind the gates," Hanabi stated as she kept crouched upon her perch on a rooftop with her eyes appearing furious.

Again something crashed into the gates and they groaned in protest as the doors jumped inward a good two feet. As the last of the evacuee progression vanished into the fog, Tenten faced the gates when multiple bangs forced the doors inward, forcing them to open. When the doors held true, silence shrouded the few ninja who stood to wait before the gates.

There was a shift in the atmosphere . . . a heavy presence that often came before a terrible storm. A stillness that sent a shiver down their spines.

Neji let out a breath, shifted his stance and said, "Here it comes."

* * *

**Note: **remember, this was written before Neji's death~ T~T so many other character deaths to choose from, and they chose Neji ~T.T~ Why?

* * *

BOOM!

An explosion quaked Konoha's very foundation. Smoke clouded the air as the main gates were completely shrouded from view. The fog was nothing compared to the pitch-black pother that now filtered into the village. Heat surged when flames boiled into the air.

"Fu-fu-fu."

Neji turned and blocked the set of black claws directed at his back. He easily snatched the cat woman by her wrist and snapped it, to then move at blinding speeds, tapping the creature in various places on her body where her chakra holes were located. Then, with a final strike Nekomata flew back, and struck the wall. The mocha-skinned woman crumpled to the ground.

Neji stood straight, his eyes hard only for his eyes to widen when the woman's arm flinched. Nekomata's body jerked as bones mended, wounds healed, and skin repaired instantaneously. The cat-woman began to giggle in her child-like manner as she rose into a predatory crouch and cast her yellow eyes onto Neji.

"You were defeated," Neji plainly said.

"You can't kill a demon, nya!" shouted Nekomata with a smile.

She opened her mouth as her fur began to stand on end and a bright yellow light appeared at the back of her throat. The light grew, to then shoot from her mouth as a bolt of crackling lightning. Neji dodged before the blinding bolt struck him. It hit the building next to him, forcing Hanabi to leap from her position to safety, and shattered the corner of the building into pieces.

"Once upon a time, I lived in a hateful world, fu-fu . . ." Nekomata stated as she glared at Neji. "I was a hunter . . . a tool for my state. It was supposed to be an honor, no? To die for your country, nya . . . only I wasn't dead. They knew I wasn't dead, but they left me. My own beloved country left me in the wilderness to die. No one came for my sorry carcass, nya! I was left on that stinking mountain until my Mistress came and she saved me . . . fu-fu . . . and made me new, nya! Made me into this! An immortal hunter."

A loud bellow sounded which caused Nekomata to smile all the larger as she backed away, to then vanished on all fours into the fog. Neji though could still see her with his Byakugan eyes . . . but as he followed her to the main gate, he watched as a hoard of monsters flooded into the village. Mixed between animated corpses and fusions of animal and human bodies, the minions of the deranged _miko_ swarmed and instantly clashed with the awaiting _shinobi_.

"Remember that you can disrupt them with chakra impulses!" shouted Shikamaru as he brought his hands together and began to manipulate the shadows around him.

"Hold them here!" Kakashi ordered. "They don't gain any ground! These monsters are weak! We keep them here and out of the village!"

Through powerful punches and swift kicks, Lee broke the corpses apart. Bones clattered to the ground in defeated heaps when Tenten's weapons ripped through the weak corpses. Five of the impure monsters were completely taken out when Choji's large hand crashed down on them. Akamaru tore the dead creatures apart, as his master Kiba tore through them with his claws. Hanabi like her cousin Neji easily disabled the minions with their Gentle Hands style _taijutsu_.

Konoha's _shinobi_ easily deflected the swarm, but the sheer magnitude of minions was easily overpowering the ninja. It seemed like everyone that was taken out, three would replace it. The minions pushed their way into the village, making way for the larger horde that followed closely behind them.

The next wave of warriors was nothing like the mediocre minions . . . The monsters that strode into the village next, could only be described as demons. The fighting paused as the minions suddenly retreated and fell back, giving the _shinobi _time to see the four beasts that entered the gates.

Nekomata moved with the grace of a large cat. Her very sway seductive and form all the more attractive. Her mocha skin glistened as her yellow fur stood on end as if charged with static. It appeared that she had an animal's pelt attached to her form, and the fur only covered her for female attributes. The pupils of her yellow eyes had become thin slits that shifted to everything that slightly moved. She walked in the center next to her brother Tengu who smiled, exposing his rotting teeth as he laughed.

He was the oldest out of all his siblings and constructed of a rotting corpse. He bore a graying body concealed beneath a set of black boned armor that clinked as he lubberly walked upon his massive fur-covered feet. A large iron raven helm covered the upper part of his face and had black feathers atop. The animal tails he wore as charms and decor around his neck swayed with each step he made. Tengu ran a sharpening stone along the runic blade of his sickle sword attached to his arm.

The monster to Tengu's left snorted. This demon had the large body of an ox, yet where the animal's head should have been, a man's torso was instead. The creature's massive bovine appearance is what gave him the name, Daitoru. Oxen bones it wore over its chest as crude armor, while completely concealing its face was the skull of a long-horned ox. Horns made into a leather armor was upon the monster's bovine form for added protection. Daitoru carried a large spiked club. And when one of the minions wouldn't move out of his way quick enough, the bull demon easily swung the club round and knocked the minion out his way.

The demon to Tengu and Nekomata's right was least dead looking. His form wasn't of a dead body . . . but looked alive. He wasn't large and massive like his brothers in creation, but leaner, and humanoid: the size of an average man. Shigitsune wore an animal's pelt and appeared more like his sister Nekomata: a demonic fusion of animal and human. The black fur of the swamp fox head he wore completely concealed his face and bled over his shoulders to stop. It bore paws for hands with razor-sharp claws, its chest and abs very much human and a mid tan, and it's entire lower body was covered in black fur. He had vulpine legs, feet, and even a long fluffy tail.

Behind the demons was no other than Kikiyo, who sat within a palanquin that was carted into the village by four of the reanimated minions. She was dressed for battle, wearing a nothing but a scant sheer cloth that covered her womanly attributes, leather and bone armor, and beautiful long flowing robe that was levitating and moving on a non-existent wind. The fluttering fabric resembled feathers and glowed with power. Her peachy hair was drawn up to look like demonic horns, as her brown eyes glowed with a hateful red. Her four generals slowed, to then come to a stop a good ten paces before the Hokage. Kikiyo's vessel was then lowered to the ground.

The four Generals instantly turned and bowed to their Queen as she giggled and stepped down from her thrown.

"If you value your life, Hokage, you will bow before your rightful Queen!" Tengu stated as he cast his glowing red eyes to Kakashi.

Kakashi plainly said, "I bow to no one."

Shigitsune gekkered as his tail fluffed, his ears turned back, and he rose to his height. Tengu laughed and held his younger brother back with his good hand.

"He is not yours to fight, Shigitsune . . . The Hokage . . . He's mine." Tengu stated as he returned to his massive giant height, and then smiled crookedly.

"Now, now. It doesn't have to be like this." Kikiyo said as she walked between her creations and came to stand before Kakashi. She took to looking at the skull upon her staff as she asked, "Does this really need to happen, Kakashi? For this little fight to take place?" she cast her eyes to him and said, "Because we can avoid conflict . . . at a cost of course."

"You're not getting the girl."

"Hmm, I see. You want to drive a hard bargain, don't you." Kikiyo sighed. The eye sockets of the skull glowed an acid green as she said, "So be it."

She let the staff go and it stood upright on its own. Then it began to slowly twirl until it slowed and stopped. The skull's face was positioned toward the main street as its jaw opened and loud shriek sounded.

"Show me the way to your daughter, dear brother." Kikiyo hissed as she lifted her hand and directed it toward the direction the skull looked.

The staff levitated from the ground and then began to move through the air.

Kakashi commanded, "Stop that thing now! Don't let them into the village!"

"Destroy anyone who gets in my way!" Kikiyo ordered, and instantly her demonic generals went into action.

As a _shinobi_ went after the staff Daitoru reared to then slam his cloven hooves to the earth. The very ground beneath ninja shifted to then swallowed them whole. A heavy intake of air could be heard from Tengu, and when a _kunoichi_ took a dive for the staff, she was hit with a huge air bullet. The next two ninja that approached wasn't met with any type of elemental attacks. They were overcome by a pouncing Nekomata and Shigitsune.

And all at once, the village turned chaotic as Kikiyo's minions rushed in.

* * *

"Move!" the woman snapped as she literally shoved him out of the way.

Sasuke twirled in place, completely bewildered by how he was finding himself in everyone's way, even when he stood in a vacant dark corner.

"Sasuke . . ." Ino mumbled as she tried to smile up at him.

Sweat beaded from her face and she was clearly in pain.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

Ino shook her head and said, "No . . . It's just painful, ya know. I was just wondering if you've seen Sakura or Tsunade around. Maybe Shizune . . ."

Sasuke shook his head and mumbled, "I haven't seen any of them. I overheard a nurse who said that Shizune was on the way . . . that Tsunade and Sakura were busy."

"Yeah . . . they're working on an antiserum or something for the chakra poisoning." Ino said as she rubbed her stomach lovingly.

His eyes widened as he blurted, "Shit . . . I was supposed to take them the scrolls!"

Ino groaned. The monitor next to the bed recorded the contraction as the baby's heartbeat sounded like a miniature drum. Ino closed her eyes as her hands gripped her bed's railing. She breathed slowly, calmly, and when the contraction passed she deflated and fell back into her pillows.

"Wow . . . this hurts . . ." mumbled Ino as she rubbed her stomach. She looked at Sasuke and said, "But I think it's going to be well worth it."

The door burst open and panting and sweating Moegi stumbled into the room. The red-haired girl placed her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

"Moegi?" Ino mumbled as she sat up.

"Ino-san, Sasuke-dono . . . What are you guys all still doing here? You're supposed to be evacuated to the mountain chambers! Konoha has been invaded!" the young woman said.

"Moegi, what's going on?" Sasuke asked.

Moegi frowned and said, "We are under siege . . . I've heard that they've already completely surrounded the village and that we've been isolated from any outside forces. The enemy has already taken out our defenses and just broke through the main gate! The village is being infiltrated as we speak!"

"Who and what is going on?" Ino asked.

"It's Kikiyo." Sasuke stated. "She's finally come for Momo."

Ino looked concerned as she said, "Where is she at anyway with her brother here?"

Moegi shook her head and said, "That's the problem! Nobody knows where she's at! Naruto's here at the hospital, but both of his sisters are unaccounted for! We're searching for them both now. We have to find Momo before Kikiyo does!"

"Did someone check Naruto's room?" Sasuke said.

"As far as I know! We've been all over the place, but the girl is literally gone!" Moegi said as paranoia became more evident in her voice.

"What about Sakura? Did you ask her?"

"No . . ." Moegi said as she started to back out the door. "My orders are to get everyone to safety!"

"I'll find out and help search for Momo." Sasuke stated as another round of nurses rushed into the room.

They began to unplug the monitors and make them mobile as they pushed Sasuke out of the way.

"Sasuke," Ino mumbled. "Please, be careful. Don't do anything rash or stupid."

"I know my limitations, Ino." said Sasuke bitterly. "What can I do except for this?"

She nodded and said, "I'm sorry . . . But please, be careful."

As he went to the door, Sasuke said, "I will be. Once I find her I'll be right back."

"I love you," Ino said as she watched him pause in the doorway.

Sasuke looked back at her, smiled lightly, and then left. Ino's shoulders stooped as a frown overcame her face.

* * *

A couple of nurses pushed open the door to Naruto's room and one of them said, "We have to move quickly. Unplug his monitors and then–"

She paused as she looked at his bed finding that it was empty. The only window to the room was open, and the curtain blowing out into the stormy night.

"He's gone."

* * *

Sakura held up the vial as she mumbled, "This is it . . . This has to be it!"

"We won't know until we try it on a patient," Kenjima stated as he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"No . . . I think Sakura is right on this one, doctor." Tsunade said as she adjusted the lens of the microscope. She then moved so Kenjima could look at the sample as she said, "Take a look."

He set his glasses down on the table, and the peered into the scope. A small gasp escaped him as he said, "And this is only within the last five minutes?"

"Yes," Tsunade said as she smiled.

"And this is from Naruto's blood? God, that boy . . . if we can create enough of the antidote," –he looked up from the microscope to the two women – "then even those who are in stages three or four can be brought back with only minimal damage to their systems."

Sakura nodded and said, "Naruto's blood is the key . . . Like you said, Kenjima-san. Only he can survive something like this, so if we can somehow mass-produce the proteins and antibodies that are in his blood, we have this–"

Without any warning the door and wall to their laboratory imploded. Dust overtook the air and made it zero visibility. A chattering could be heard . . . one that Sakura knew fairly well.

"Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch."

"What the hell is that," asked Tsunade as she moved closer to Kenji and Sakura.

"It can't be," hissed Sakura as she scanned her eyes along the smoke trying to see their attacker. "I killed that thing back in the swamp."

"You do know that the definition for kill is: Cause to die; to put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly . . . Ku-ku." the dust settled when the man entered into their line of sight. Nezumi smiled as he cast his glowing red eyes on Sakura, and said, "Unfortunately, you can't kill what's already dead, bitch."

Sakura yelped when she jumped back and watched the floor where she once stood explode. Nezumi's chattered his teeth as he swiped his sword, and cleared away the dust with a gush of wind, revealing the small crater he stood within. Red glowing eyes met jade when Nezumi started Sakura down and hissed at her. He then looked to their table where books sat open and samples scattered about, and even the scrolls that contained the radioactive flowers sat. He smiled wide, exposing his sharp teeth, then turned to the table as clear sticky acid shot from his mouth.

"The sample!" screamed Sakura while she lunged at Nezumi.

The two crashed to the ground. Acid smoked when it gushed onto the table, to then splatter onto the floor and even onto Sakura. With pain and rage-filled scream, the strawberry-blonde slammed her fist down on his chest, and Nezumi let out a high pitched screech. The three living beings in the room had to cover their ears when the screech turned into a supersonic pitch that shattered glass.

"That's enough!" shouted Sakura as she again slammed her fist down, this time in the rat-man's mouth.

Acid blasted from his mouth and hit Sakura head-on, only for her body to burst into a plume of smoke and chair to reappear in her place. Nezumi threw the chair from him and jumped back to his feet, only to have a roaring pink-haired woman slam right into him. The two tumbled away, knocking over chairs and crashing into a table. Kenjima and Tsunade quickly gathered up what was left of their findings.

Kenjima carefully took the sample within the microscope, and sealed it within a holder as he said, "I got it!"

"Come on!" Tsunade shouted as she grabbed a box filled with their research as Sakura and the rat-helmed general tussled and rolled along the floor in an all-out brawl.

As he went to the door, Kenji glanced back at Sakura as he said, "But what about–"

"She's a _kunoichi_ for god sake! She'll beat the shit out of that thing and get back to us as soon as she can." Tsunade snapped as she pulled Kenjima out the door. "Now lets move!"

As the two rushed up and out of the basement halls, there was a loud crash behind them, followed by Sakura screaming, "SHANNAROO!"

Sasuke had just reached the main doors that lead down into the hospital basement when two things happened. One, he heard Sakura's voice vibrating throughout the hall, and two, one of the double doors suddenly opened and smacked him dead in the face. He groaned, stumbled back, and cupped his hands to his nose.

"Fuck," wailed Sasuke as he saw blood on the palms of his hands.

"Sasuke?!" said Tsunade in surprise.

He glared at her and asked, "Have you seen–"

The second door slammed open as a blur of tumbling figures launched out of the basement. The rolling red and pink blur crashed into the opposite wall. Sakura was straddled over a bone-helmed man and proceeded to punch the living crap out him. Nezumi groaned as he kicked the pink-haired woman from him and then spat acid in her direction. Sakura moved, but some of the clear acids splattered onto the bare skin of her arm. With a shout of rage, she unleashed three kunai at him, and each hit the wall.

"You're aim's off," Nezumi teased as he swung his sword before him.

Sakura sneered and said, "Release."

The explosion was huge . . .

* * *

***NOTES***

Acorea is a real word. It means, absence of pupil in the eye, which in the Hyuuga Family's case, it would be eyes.

^ 2019 and totally forgot about this word.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer**: I did not create, nor do I own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because I imagined them from the inspiration of Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Three: Rage**

"Rragh!"

Lightning shot across the street and hit a power pole. The transformer atop sparked and then went BOOM as sparks and a flash of bright blue light illuminated the battlefield momentarily. Instantly Konoha lost electricity, as transformers all over the village blew.

"Quit moving around so damn fast!" Nekomata screamed as her hair frizzled.

"What's the matter kitty. Can't keep up with this big dog?" Kiba taunted to then snatch on his crotch. "Come on, kitty. Don't keep big daddy waiting."

With a hiss, she spat another round of lightning at him, only for the dog man to quickly rush out of the way, and again go about taunting her with his wolf calls and sexual comments. With an enraged yowl, Nekomata fell to all fours and rushed along the street. Kiba's eyes widened when she moved in blurs of bright yellow light. She then slid to a stop, forcing mud and silt to splatter up into the air. Kiba shielded his face when the onslaught of mud hit him, only to gasp when Nekomata grabbed him, and they both tumbled back. Nekomata then slammed him to the ground. She straddled him and ground her hips into his as she said, "Don't mind if I'm the one on top, do ya, bitch? _One Thousand Lightning Claws__!_"

The talons on her paws glowed yellow as she rose them into the air. When they swiped down the glowing yellow looked like small streaks of lightning, especially when her paws began to move so fast there was nothing but blurs of bright yellow.

Kiba chest and face were hit full force with the furry of clawed strikes, causing the man to let out a pained scream and blood to splatter around him. Nekomata yelped when a large blur of white crashed into her. Akamaru and the cat woman tumbled, for the large dog to land in one place and then the cat another.

"What . . . Can't take your bitch being hit on, nya!" she taunted. She slashed her paws to her sides, as her hair electrified. "_Maki neko_!"

Nekomata then jumped forward and curled into a tight ball. Her form gyrated instantly as she launched through the air with electricity dancing around her body. The spinning lightning attack hit Akamaru in the side when he tried to dodge and sent the dog flying back whining.

"Akamaru!" Kiba shouted, to then bare his fangs and glare at Nekomata as he growled, "You're going to pay for that, pussy cat."

Nekomata fluttered her eyes, smiled seductively, and then licked on her paw before she said, "How about you try again when you're balls have actually dropped, bitch."

Akamaru growled, as Kiba snorted and then both ran toward her.

* * *

Rain poured down in heavy sheets as lightning flickered across the sky. Choji strained as he and Daitoru were in a battle of strength; their hands interlocked as they both tried to overpower the other.

"For a fat man . . . You are strong," Daitoru laughed.

Choji's left eye twitched as he slowly asked, "What did you say . . ."

Daitoru snorted a laugh and pushed forward as Choji's arms started to bend back. "I said that you are a strong **fat** man."

"What. Did. You. Call. Me."

"_**Fat**_-"

Choji screamed and Daitoru's arms suddenly bent back, the bones snapping. The large bucentaur-like creature bellowed in pain as he stumbled back. In a roar, Choji tightened his grip on the monster's hand and then jerked the bull to the right. Choji twirled Daitoru around to then release the monster into the wall. The bull-man bellowed in pain.

Choji brought his hands together, as his small eyes turned into slits as he shouted, "Meat Tank!"

His body expanded and grew in the size of a large ball that was as tall as a two-story building. His arms and legs tucked into his expanded body, along with his head. Then the massive Akiminchi's body began to spin, and spin, as mud and water started to rooster tail behind him. Then the rolling human blob sped forward hitting the massive bull monster, and plowing it down and crashing out of Konoha's main wall.

* * *

"Ha-ha-ha! You move well for an old man!" Tengu scoffed as Kakashi strained to hold back the blade that wished to slice him in half. "But does the infamous Copycat Ninja still have what it takes?"

Kakashi let out a sigh and said, "It's not that I don't have what it takes . . ." he pushed the blade up, forcing Tengu stumbling back as he said, "It's just I'm really not taking this seriously as I should be."

When Kakashi slid his forehead protector off from his eye, Tengu smiled and said, "Yes . . . Show me your true power, Copy Cat Kakashi!"

The Sixth Hokage's eye opened, revealing a crimson orb that within it bore three comma marks that were situated and moved around the pupil. As Tengu stepped forward, Kakashi vanished.

The raven helmed general moved his head to the left and right to try and find his opponent, to then swiftly spin round and deflect the _kunai _aimed for his back.

"Is that all you have!" Tengu shouted angrily.

"Nope."

Tengu turned, only to groan when a blinding white light pierced through his stomach, sliced up into his chest then ripped through his shoulder, amputating the arm that bore the sickle sword. Black blood gushed as Tengu screamed in agony.

Kakashi stepped back and flicked the last of the chakra from his fingers. His Raikiri normally cut through anything and was less noisy than the Chidori. He thought he had the upper hand, until the black substance he thought was blood began to look like sticky webby glue. Tengu stopped his mock screaming and began to laugh as the black goo began to reattach his arm, and pull the appendage back to its severed socket. Even Tengu's wounds began to goo together and seal, leaving only a white scar behind.

"You'll have to do better than that," Tengu smirked, to then lunge at the Hokage again.

* * *

Shigitsune stood and watched the montage of _shinobi _and monsters fighting. He easily defected ninja away, smacking those that approached like flies when they rushed him. When some man wearing glasses tried to sneak up on him, the fox berserker merely wrapped his tail around the man's throat and then tossed him away as if he were nothing but a scant scrap of wood.

A harsh breeze blew, and through the heavy rain, a scent caught his nose. Shigitsune breathed in deeply, and his triangular ears pricked. He started to growl as he kicked away another of the annoying flies. A smile curved on his face as he began to walk into the village, knocking back anything that tried to stop him.

* * *

Everything was unfocused when Sasuke opened his eyes. He just knew it was dark and foggy. And then small splashes of water began to fall upon his face. It brought back memories . . . Images from that day so long ago at the Valley of End . . .

"Sasuke . . ."

He turned over and coughed. The memory of his childhood faded. Dust and bits of wood and drywall fell from him as he sat up. He looked around and noticed that a corner of the hospital was blasted apart and was burning. For an added effect to his suddenly crappy day, it was raining. Kenjima was knocked out on the ground right next to Tsunade, which Sasuke found that he too was right next to her.

"Body Flicker?" he asked the retired Hokage.

Tsunade was breathing heavy as she nodded and said, "Sasuke, get up. I need you to run." She reached over to Kenjima and searched him for the sample. Once she found it she held it out to Sasuke as she said, "This has to get to Keito's lab."

"Keito's . . ." Sasuke mumbled dazedly.

"Yes, Keito's. Underground, old Root Division beneath the village, on the other side of the village, is the entrance. You remember where it is?" she asked.

Sasuke nodded and mumbled, "Yeah . . . I remember." That was where he lived for a good while after they captured him . . .

"She needs this information and samples to make the cure for the infected villagers. You have to get it there." Tsunade helped him up to his feet, and pushed him along as she said, "Go, Sasuke! Run. That's all you have left! Run!"

_Run . . ._ he turned, and gazed around into the fog . . . _It would be nice to have the Sharingan right now . . . actually chakra would be even better._

With having the general idea on which way to go, Sasuke ran. That was the only thing that couldn't be taken away from him, and that was his natural speed and agility. They took everything else.

Kumo granted him his life for the sake of Naruto's memory. The Raikage remembered the pity and begging that Naruto did for the sake of Sasuke's life, and when they discovered that Killer Bee was still alive when they thought Sasuke had captured him . . . well then Raikage wasn't to bent on killing Sasuke anymore. And then when Naruto died, the Raikage honored Naruto's past plea. Kumogakure did take Sasuke's chakra though.

It was a painful procedure. One that Sasuke almost went mad through because of she sure pain of having the holes of his chakra lines completely seared away. The woman who did the procedure made sure to do it _slowly _too. To further ensure that he would never mold chakra again, there was a sealing procedure that completely disabled Sasuke's ability to create chakra all together.

Konoha's punishment included the sealing of the Uchiha's trademarked, Sharingan. This infamous bloodline limit would die once both Kakashi and Sasuke's lives expired. Not even Sasuke's offspring would ever gain the Sharingan; it would become lost forever. It was another painful procedure done none other than by the Mistress of Pain, Keito. A medical scientist and seal master, that woman not only annoyed Sasuke to the brink of psychosis, but she also _tortured _him with her detox programs and medical experiments. Another punishment of his home village included prison time, and he was happy for that judgment. Five long years of imprisonment where they forced him into a solitary cell where he rotted away . . . Or at least wished he would have rotted away.

It was hard to face yourself. Hard to remember all the wrong, the pain, the hurt that he caused others. And then when he remembered what he did to Sakura . . .

He couldn't forgive himself.

When he was released, the first thing he did was went to Sakura . . . God knew how much Sasuke wanted to apologize, only she instantly rejected him. Well, actually she beat him to the point of death. If Ino wouldn't have been there . . . Well then Sasuke would have happily died, but Ino intervened and unfortunately, he lived. Sasuke lived and he had to watch as Sakura suffered each day. How even though no one else could see them, he could still see those very wounds he inflicted upon her. That he was the cause of her sadness, her pain, her insanity.

For a good while, Sakura was as fragile minded as he. She went through stages of delirium, mania, and even fell off the deep end for a year or more and had to be hospitalized . . . all because of Naruto. Because Naruto was gone.

The _dobe's _death really hit Sakura hard. Though, Sakura only had to deal with the loss of Naruto . . . Sasuke had to deal with the fact that _he _killed him.

So yeah, when his family's name was disgraced and even became a taboo, Sasuke didn't become enraged. When he found out that he would never again be a bona fide ninja of _Konohagakure no sato_, Sasuke didn't care because he deserved it.

He killed his best friend . . . he was nothing. Nothing but trash . . . No, Sasuke wasn't trash. He was fucking lower than trash . . .

He had Sakura to thank for his position within the military ranks as a secretary. Actually he didn't even become the Hokage's secretary until Sakura talked Kakashi into it. The job was merely out of sympathy for Ino though. He got her pregnant . . . Then married her because, well it was the right thing to do. It was Ino's idea, and what right did he have to question her. Over the years of his recovery, she was there. And though it didn't appear it, Sasuke did care. He cared about her deeply . . . Maybe not quite love, but he did care and worry . . . Just thinking about her made him smile, yet it also made him frown.

What good was he to her when he would be fully blind by the time he reached thirty-five years old.

"Eight years left . . ." Sasuke grumbled as the rain began to fall thicker and the fog began to clear.

Oh, his vision could easily be repaired . . . only as apart of his own personal punishment, Sasuke wouldn't allow it. His vision had already deteriorated to a point that, he just didn't care anymore. Sasuke couldn't really see anything in front of him. There was just brown to black splotches when he tried to focus on something before him. If he used the side of his vision, Sasuke could see it. His peripheral vision was sharp as ever, and over the years he had honed it. It was what enabled him to still be able to move so quickly, to still be able to fight to a degree and to be agile and fast as ever.

As he neared the center of the village, Sasuke slowed down, only to come to a complete stop. Monsters . . . The very things that were supposed to be in nightmares had flooded the village . . .

There was a soft growl that grew. The pitch changed and sounded like someone was dragging a stick along a picket fence. Sasuke turned just as a black-pawed hand swiped at him. He blocked the hit but found himself staring into a set of deep scarlet eyes of the fox-pelt wearing Shigitsune.

Standing so close to the beast, Sasuke noticed features that could only be observed up close. The fox pelt was attaching itself to the man's very skin. Even the bottom jaw looked to be growing and turning the human beneath into something else. On fox's forehead was an orange spiral appearing upon the midnight black fur, and even upon the creatures upper arm where red angry human flesh was bare, there were the same marks. Sasuke swore he saw them before . . . Perhaps not in the same color . . . But the design . . .

The pelt ran over the man's shoulders and was embedding to his skin. Where tan flesh touched the black fur it was red and very inflamed. The veins were even bulging, and turning a deep black. Paws made up the man's hands and the black fur stopped at his elbows. Below his torso was nothing but black fur and vulpine legs . . . And the fur was spreading . . . Taking over the man beneath. And as Sasuke stared at the creature that had paused, staring at him . . . He could almost see the man hidden behind the pelt.

Shigitsune started to breathe hard as it's vulpine eyes narrowed. Black lined lips curled into a snarling smile. A balled paw crashed into Sasuke's face, and a clawed foot came up and hit his chest. The raven-haired man flew back, the air knocked from him as he watched Shigitsune fall to all fours and rush toward him. Sasuke couldn't even react when the fox latched onto him and then they rolled, only for the berserker to slam Sasuke to the ground. Air rushed from his lungs as spit spurted from Sasuke's mouth. His eye's widened when in a roar Shigitune was descending toward him . . . A spiraling scarlet ball of flaming energy hovering within its paw.

Light blasted on impact, as the rotating energy expanded and swept away the fog and rain. Then within milliseconds, it imploded. Dirt shot into the air as the deep gekkering of Shigitsune could be heard.

Sasuke panted as he held his hand over his drumming heart. _That . . . That was too close, _he thought as he pressed himself against the building he sat up against. He rolled away at the very last moment . . . But not fast enough. He glanced at his left arm and groaned. It just hung limply at his side. Blood drizzled down it in thin streams from a wound on his biceps.

"Feh, I see how this is gonna be . . . You're going to run and hide like a little bitch," grumbled Shigitsune.

Sasuke gasped when from above him a thick furry tail wrapped around his neck and yanked him up from his feet. Sasuke struggled against the chokehold, but couldn't get himself free. Shigitsune stood upon the wall on all fours. Lightning flashed overhead, making the fox berserker look all the more menacing as its eyes seemed to glow red.

Shigitsune rose Sasuke to face him as he sniffed the air and chuckled, "You're scared . . . I can smell it. Feh . . . It smells sour and bitter . . . Just like your soul." he moved his face closer to his prey's and said, "You've always been a scaredy-cat though, haven't you, _Sasuke_? Rahh!"

The tail jerked up, then suddenly down. Sasuke slammed hard into the ground. The air again was knocked from the man's lungs and he arched his back in pain and groaned. Shigitsune leaped and landed next to Sasuke to then kick him hard in his side. The raven-haired man slid back from the impact on the muddy ground. He kept his vision on the fox as he pushed himself up into a crouch.

Shigitsune gekkered as he moved on all fours as he began to circle Sasuke with his ears laid back upon his head. Sasuke slowly shifted up to his feet, keeping his sight on the berserker. He shifted one way and Shigitsune leaped toward the feint, and automatically Sasuke darted off the other way.

_Run! _Sasuke thought as he heard the berserker scream in rage and then quickly follow after. The fox's paws were like the heavy hoof falls of a horse at first, then quieted to a point they sounded like mere whispers promising his very doom. Shigitsune roared and leaped. Sasuke jumped, and the fox's paws encircled around air where the ex-ninja's feet should have been. The fox slid along in the mud as it growled and gekkered angrily, while Sasuke kept running.

Shigitsune's scarlet eyes watched as the last Uchiha then vanished behind a building. "Feh."

The fox berserker glanced up to the rooftops, then hopped up to them. He silently moved along the roofs as rain fell and lightning illuminated the sky. The fox man stealthily moved on all fours and passed a rather large chimney. And suddenly there was pain. Huge amounts of pain that crashed upon his head.

Shigitsune yelped as he fell limply to the rooftop and continued to whine like both a fox and a man as his form jerked in spasms. The metal bar Sasuke held shook in his hand as he stared at the creature. He dropped the bar and backed away.

* * *

"How pathetic . . ." mumbled Kikiyo as she retracted her nails from Tenten's chest.

The brunette _kunoichi_ barely made a sound when she fell back onto the ground. Lee glanced at her as he held his chest where he too had been punctured by the _miko's _nails. He had already paled and was on the verge of passing out. Neji still had a bit of fight left in him, but he was currently using what energy he had left to keep himself conscious.

Neji glared up at the woman as he asked, "What did . . .you do to us?"

Kikiyo smiled. "I poisoned you. Oh, don't worry. You won't die. I don't need my new army dying now, do I?"

"What do you mean?" questioned Tenten as she looked up at the woman. "You reanimate the dead. Not living."

"Oh dear . . . Everyone improves their skills. Reanimation of the dead was my first step yes . . . But I've moved on to larger jutsus, my dear." Kikiyo said as she knelt down before the young woman, and lifted her chin. "It started to get agitating when you ninja figured out that my babies can be disrupted by just blasting them with charka. So I've had to adapt. Yes, Tengu and his siblings are dead. They can be defeated by chakra pulses and can't even use chakra . . . Well, except for two of them. Nekomata and Shigitsune aren't like their dead siblings, no. They were created differently, you see . . . They are the first version of a new breed. A super breed that doesn't dispel after they are struck with an overdose of chakra. A breed that can even use chakra. Ku-ku . . . A breed that you will soon be apart of little bird."

Tenten snatched her face from the woman's grip as she said, "That'll never happen . . ."

"Oh, it's going to happen," Kikyo said as she rose to her height. "I'll make sure that you're the first that I break . . ." she smiled and said, "I can already see you, free as a bird . . . Soaring through the skies on the wings of a thousand eagles . . ."

"You are demented," Hanabi spat as she pushed in on the wounds to her stomach.

Kikiyo rolled her eyes and grumbled, "So I've been told." She began to walk away as she said, "Take care of them, my babies. Don't let them get away."

As Kikiyo strolled away, monsters slowly circled around the four _shinobi. _Tenten pushed herself back up to her feet and started to fend off the reanimated creatures only to swiftly be overcome.

* * *

He was panting when he reached the main entrance to the underground chamber. It was raining hard now, the fog completely gone as he scrutinized the all too quiet area. Sasuke had a bad feeling about this.

God's how he hated this place . . .

_Get this over with so you can get back to Ino . . . Think about Ino . . . _He thought as he leaned back against the wall of the alley he hid within. Closing his eyes and shifting his face into the falling rain, he though, _I should have said it . . . I should have told her that I love her . . . Fuck . . . _

He glanced around the building and looked around the area once more. At the entrance of the building, he could see someone. It was a short woman who had short buzz cut hair but long sideburns and ghost bangs that reached the woman's hips. Sakura's soft cherry blossom pink hair had nothing on this woman's . . . Keito's hair was a shocking, super-bright, hot neon pink. When she noticed Sasuke, she shined a light toward him and waved for him to come. Her movements were urgent as he barely heard her call, "Come on already!"

As his heart began to race. Sasuke took in a deep breath of air and then dashed out into the open. Fear raced up and down his spine as he could feel dread push down on him. Keito's neon blue eyes widened as she watched something else, something that was behind Sasuke. The raven-haired man's heart started to pound in his ears as he pushed himself to the breaking point.

"UCHIHA!" Keito screamed as she watched in horror as a dark creature rushed out from the shadows and launched itself at the running man.

Claws dug into his skin, and Sasuke arched when something hit him full force. He stumbled forward and pulled the sample from his pocket. Sasuke flicked the small rectangular sample toward the woman who ran out into the rain. Her hands nimbly caught the sample, and Sasuke crashed to the ground with an angry Shigitsune atop of him.

"GO, Keito!" Sasuke screamed at her as she backed away. "Make the antidote!"

She only nodded and ran back to the safety of the underground passage. She glanced back, tears clearly in her eyes before she vanished behind the dark double doors. Shigitsune rose off from his prey and then picked him up the scruff of his shirt, to then sling him into a nearby tree. Blood spat from Sasuke's mouth as his left side was buzzing with pain. When a right fist clobbered him Sasuke twirled in a daze then dropped to the ground.

Shigitsune again forced Sasuke up and proceeded to use him as a punching bag, to then kick him away, and just roar and scream in such pain and rage . . . Sasuke dropped to the ground, and just didn't know what to make of it. As the monster glared at him, its breaths heavy as its form shook with chills, Sasuke wasn't sure what to make of Shigitsune. Why did it seem like it was waiting on him . . .

"Get up," Shigitsune growled as it nudged Sasuke with its pawed foot. When Sasuke didn't make an attempt, the fox screamed, "I said to fucking get up! Face me, Sasuke!"

_How . . . How does it know my name? _Sasuke wondered as he looked up at the fox. In a fit of rage, the fox berserker then kicked Sasuke and punted him across the road. Sasuke yelped when he went airborne, then groaned as he fell hard to the ground and then slid to a stop. He cried out in pain when Shigitsune was at him again, this time slamming his heel down into Sasuke's stomach.

Sasuke just couldn't hold up anymore. It was too much . . .

When Sasuke still didn't make an attempt to move, the fox grew all the more enraged and picked the man up to then toss him into a building. Shigitsune then went and grabbed Sasuke by the ankle pulled him from the rubble, to then toss him back across the street.

And the torture continued as Sasuke just took the beating, unable to do much else. After Sasuke again fell, clearly spent, Shigitsune roared and started to slash and tear apart a tree with his very hands. It screamed a roar, to then turn back to Sasuke. Shigitsune grasped Sasuke's throat and picked him up from the muddy ground to then slam him into another tree.

"You bastard," Shigitsune said with a trembling voice.

Sasuke didn't understand . . . Why did it sound like the monster was crying? Shouldn't he be the one crying? He was the one who was going to die. Finally after all these years . . . The devil had come to collect his soul. After all the wrong he done in the past, this monster was going to make Sasuke face a true form of punishment. It was going to kill him and send him right to Hell.

Sasuke would never see his wife again. He'd never tell her how much he really did love and care about her . . . He'd never see his own baby's face . . . He would never be able to tell Sakura how sorry he was and Naruto . . . He's never been able to tell him thank you, or to apologize for all the shit he put him through . . . His best friend . . . His brother. . .

"Kill me and get it over with," Sasuke snapped as tears welled and burned in his eyes.

"Why won't you fight me!" the fox berserker asked as he released Sasuke and stared at him. "Why won't you fight back!"

Sasuke swayed on his feet as he mumbled, "I can't . . . "

The berserker growled and his ears fell flat against his head as he roared, "YOU LIE!"

Enraged, Shigitsune slammed Sasuke into the tree, forcing the man to groan and the tree to buckle. Scarlet energy began to swirl in his paw as the fox held Uchiha's throat and let the swirling mass of energy grow and rotate faster.

Sasuke watched dazed as the light from the gyrating chakra illuminated the fox's form. That's when Sasuke noticed that Shigitsune's eyes weren't scarlet anymore . . . They were blue.

A bright sapphire blue.

"I'm sorry . . ." Sasuke mumbled as the fox sneered. "I'm sorry for everything . . . Thank you for never giving up on me, Naruto. Thank you . . ."

The expression that overcame Shigitsune was one of absolute wrath. The fox snarled as it growled and its energy flared. It shoved its spiraling ball of chakra forward, and tears fell from Sasuke's eyes when he closed them and gave in to his fate.

* * *

*notes*

_Maki neko: _rolling cat (amateurish, I know)


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer**: I did not create, nor do I own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because I imagined them from the inspiration of Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Four:** And Chaos Reins . . .

Ino let out a blood curdling scream as she gripped onto the handles on her bed, and arched her back in pain. Was it supposed to hurt this much?

"She's loosing way too much blood," Shizune mumbled to a nurse. "Get three bags of O in here stat."

"Yes, ma'am." the nurse lowly said, as Ino cried, suffering in the pains of birthing a child.

When the contraction ebbed away she was left panting, sweating as Shizune gently patted Ino's head with a cool compress. She looked so pale . . .

"Is he back yet?" Ino asked with tears in her eyes. "Is Sasuke here?"

Shizune frowned. "No, not yet . . ."

Ino looked away from her and closed her eyes as tears flooded to them. "Something's happened to him . . . Something's wrong I just know it." she cried as she was overcome with sobs.

"Shh, it's okay, Ino. Please, you have to calm down." Shizune said as she injected a clear fluid into the IV. "Think of the baby, Ino. You have to calm down."

When another contraction hit, Ino cried to then scream in both pain and anguish. Blood mixed with amniotic fluid gushed onto the floor. Shizune cursed loudly as the baby's monitor started to alarm. The baby's heartbeat went erratic, to suddenly start to slow. Ino's shout of pain grew abruptly silent, as her entire form fell still. Ino's own heart monitor suddenly flatlined, as everyone in the small room went into overdrive.

* * *

Hazuki kept her eyes to the ground as she and her friends sat silently within their imprisonment. The building wasn't large and was steadily growing all the more cramped. Sometimes a minion would bring in a civilian. Other times, three or four weakened ninjas would be brought to the building and needed someone to help them with their injuries.

"It's going to be okay," Hazuki said as she rose her head and looked out the window into the deserted street. When she saw the person out there, she was instantly up to her feet as she mumbled, "Brother?"

As if in a trance, Naruto walked through the village with two unconscious pre-teens draped over his broad shoulders.

Hazuki clapped her hand against the window as she shouted, "Naruto! _Ani_! Brother! Naruto! Help me! Naruto! _ANI_!"

He kept walking. He didn't even look in her direction.

There was a crash in the back of the building, and suddenly the room was engulfed in smoke. Hazuki coughed when she breathed in the heavy smog and then froze when she saw dark blurs move within the pother of smoke. Fiends fell, as the ninja easily took out the minion guards. By the time the smoke cleared, all that was left in the room were pure living human beings.

"Everyone needs to keep quiet," said a tall man with brown hair and a five-o'clock shadow on his face. A green scarf was wrapped around his neck as he moved through the crowd of people and said, "Make a line, hand's on shoulders. Undon will guide you guys out of here and to safety. Remember to not panic, and be absolutely quiet."

When Chiku and Takashi went to line up, Hazuki went to the shinobi and said, "Hey, you. Ninja."

The man turned to her and said, "Please, get in line, Miss Uzumaki."

Hazuki shook her head and said, "No, wait. Please . . . My brother is outside. I just saw him in the street. It looked like he had Momo and her friend from school with him, and I'm worried that there's something wrong. They might be hurt . . ."

"Don't worry. I'll get him and make sure everything's all right, okay," he said, to then smile and give her a thumbs up. "Don't worry, Uzumaki-san. Everything will be fine. Go with the rest of the evacuees here, and get yourself cleaned up and your injuries treated. Naruto will flip out if he sees you like this."

Hazuki smiled relieved and said, "Thank you."

The ninja smiled to then vanished in a poof of smoke.

Naruto didn't seem to notice the minions that had overtaken the village, nor did it even seem that he cared. Both Hike and Momo were still draped over his shoulders. On closer inspection, one would see that their hands were bound with an entanglement of vines that too wrapped around their forms and down to their feet. Even their mouths were securely bound as both children had been subdued and sedated. The man just kept walking, and oddly enough, no one seemed to notice him. No one except, Konohamaru.

_What are you doing? _Konohamaru thought as he glanced around the tree to watch the blond-haired man.

There was a loud shrieking yell. Konohamaru watched as a floating staff with a skull on it stopped in the middle of the street. Naruto saw the ominous thing, and instead of walking away from it, he went to it.

"Naruto? Dude, what are you doing?" Konohamaru asked as he ran up to the sunny haired man.

Naruto turned to him. Before Konohamaru knew it, brown and green vines shot toward him and pierced through his stomach and up to his chest and throat. The brown-haired man just stared when the vines began to wrap around his torso and face, and then began to rip him apart. Instead of blood and flesh-tearing in half, a log was within the vine's entanglement.

Konohamaru panted as he kept himself still and against the wall of the building. _What the hell was that all about? _

Slowly he peered around the building back to where Naruto stood with Momo and Hike on his shoulders. Vines whipped around, sprouted from Naruto's very fingers while it looked as if something were slithering and moving just beneath the man's skin. Konohamaru shuttered at the thought and knew . . . That thing out there wasn't Naruto. It was something else.

He pulled a _kunai _from his pouch and rolled an exploding tag around the handle. He targeted the ground before the vine-man so that way he could separate the vine-Naruto from the staff, and maybe get the kids to safety too-

SPLIFT

A sharp pain that dulled quickly away hit his back. Konohamaru gasped when he saw the black needle-like _thing _that pierced through his upper abdomen. The _kunai _dropped from his hand. His body was feeling really heavy now . . .

"Ku-ku-ku . . . You wouldn't be doing something to keep me from the gem now, would you?" asked Kikiyo as she turned Konohamaru toward her.

He yelped when she ripped her extended needle-nail from his back, and then tossed him aside. She rose her red gaze to the vine-Naruto and she began to giggle and clap her hands.

"I love it when things come together!" Kikiyo said.

Konohamaru tried to push himself up to his hands and knees but he was so heavy. "Leave . . . Leave them alone!"

"What are you going to do about it," Kikiyo laughed as she continued toward her prize.

Konohamaru's fingers crept to the _kunai. _The young man panted as he forced himself, pushing every fiber of his being to grasp the handle of that weapon. When he finally did, he had to force more thought into just picking it up, and then tossing it closer to the priestess.

It skidded short . . . But it would still work.

"Heh . . . You have no idea who you're dealing with, babe." Konohamaru said, causing the woman to turn back to him. He smiled at her brightly as sweat beaded from his face. "I'm Sarutobi Konohamaru, future Hokage . . . _Kai_."

Kikiyo's eyes widened when the explosion blew her back, along with the fake Naruto, his burden, and the staff. Dirt and smoke instantly filtered into the air and illuminated the area around with its incandescent hot glow. Rolling flames and smoke billowed into the air while the heat evaporated the rain only for a few mere seconds. Then the rain returned, along with bits and chunks of debris.

"Heh . . . I did it," Konohamaru mumbled, to then collapse onto the street.

From beneath a pile of wood and dirt, the priestess sat upright. In a burst of telekinetic energy, the debris on and around her suddenly blasted away. A deep scowl was on her face as she curled her fist and then screamed in all out wrath. Energy flared around her and forced the rain away, caused her hair to flutter around her wildly, and made her eyes glow all the redder.

"You _little __**bastard**_," she hissed as she glared at the disabled Konohamaru who merely chuckled at her.

Kikiyo spat blood onto the ground, then wiped her lips. She stuck the ground angrily before roots protruded from the ground and helped the woman up to her feet.

"You . . ." She shook her finger at Konohamaru and smiled, "That was good, but it isn't going to work. You're not distracting me, oh no. I'm not going to take out my _wrath _on you yet!" She turned her attention to Momo, and said, "I'm going to get rid of _that _burden first," - Kikiyo turned her attention back to the brown-haired man - "and then I'll deal with the likes of you."

The priestess then turned away from him, her outfit's fabric fluttering behind her. She had her eyes on the child and smiled. She dusted herself off as she stalked closer to the girl, and then slipped a dagger out from a hidden holster on her waist. She giggled as she stalked closer and closer to the unconscious girl as her grin widened.

Momo lay still, seemingly sleeping as she had no idea of the threat the loomed over her. The child softly breathed as Kikiyo's shadow overcame her. Vines began to wrap around the child's form to then gently lift her from the ground. Then the vines presented the girl to the _miko. _

"You can't do this!" Konohamaru shouted as he began to slide toward the woman with his numb form. "Stop!"

"There is no stopping," Kikiyo said as the vines positioned the girl so the priestess could easily slit the child's throat. "It ends now."

A ball of flame hit Kikiyo's hand and the dagger was flung away. She yelped and grabbed at her burnt hand, to then step away from the heir of Sawa to see who attacked her.

"Over here, you witch!"

She turned only to scream when an inferno of thick orange plasmatic flames hit her head on. The thick flames stuck to the screaming _miko _as she backed away with her hands held up around her burning face and hair.

Hike looked away from the woman as she fell to the ground screaming in pain and rage. He went to Momo and quickly used a _kuni _enchanted with heat to cut away the vines that kept the peach-haired girl bound. Once she was free he pulled her away toward Konohamaru, as he lightly tapped her face.

"Momo, come on, Momo. Wake up!" Hike pleaded as she stirred.

When her eyes fluttered open, Momo instantly regained her barring. "What's going on? Where are we?" she signed. Her eyes widened as she fearfully signed, "Naruto-ni? What happened to him?"

Hiki shook his head and said, "I don't know . . . Momo, come on we have to go. Help me get Konohamaru out of here. We have to find someplace safe!"

Kikiyo let out an infuriated scream as a heavy _ki _flooded into the air.

"Awe man," Hike whined as he saw the priestess rise back to her feet. "Time's up! Time to run!"

"Leave me here," Konohamaru said, causing both Momo and Hike to look at him. "I'll slow you both down. Hike, get her to safety. That's all that matters. Now, go!"

Hike nodded as turned to Momo and said, "Get on my back."

She tilted her head confused, but didn't question him. Instead, she climbed on with Hike's help. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he firmly grabbed her legs. Before she could even adjust her position, they were gone. Hike ran at breakneck speed as Momo had to press herself against him and try not to choke him to death with her arms.

Momo watched as everything around them blurred past . . . She found herself nestling into him, resting her chin upon his shoulder as his and her hair whipped behind them. It would have been completely amazing and maybe even a bit romantic, only at the moment, it wasn't. The danger and urgency of the entire experience became very real to the girl when she glanced back and noticed that her deranged aunt was right on their tails.

Hike yelped when roots suddenly blasted from the ground and tried to snatch at them. With a quick set of hand seals a huge fireball shot from his mouth. The roots quickly retreated back into the ground, and Hike swiftly leaped up onto the rooftops.

"Hold on!" Hike shouted as he glanced back at Momo.

With a gulp, the girl tightened her arms and legs and hid her face when the boy ran straight toward the ledge of the building. Hike leaped from the rooftop to the next.

"Ku-ku-ku! I'm catching up to you!" Kikiyo taunted as she appeared next to them, seemingly floating, levitating over the rooftop as she matched Hike's speed.

When both children looked at the woman, they both inhaled gasp. It was as if Hike's jutsu had no effect on her! She rose her hand, smiled at the two, then slung her hand toward them in an arch. An unseen force ripped apart the very roof they ran upon. The roof collapsed and when they sunk and fell into the building below, Momo let out a blood curling scream.

Air then slammed out of the girl's lungs when she hit the floor. She rolled around, trying to gasp in a deep breath of air. Hike shouted in pain as Momo breathed in short gasp of air. She glanced at him and saw that he was under a large wooden beam.

"Hi-Hike!" she moaned as she crawled toward him.

A sudden force hit her and sent Momo flying back. This very force crashed her into the wall, to then slide her up it. Wood splintered and broke to then bind around her wrist and legs, to then wrap around her stomach and forehead to keep her bound. From the hole in the roof, Kikiyo floated down, her magical robe's glow illuminated the room and made the priestess look like an angel.

Hike tried to push the beam from his legs as he said, "Leave her alone, you witch! You should be dead!"

Kikiyo glanced at him, then flicked her wrist in his direction. Energy rippled and the entire area was blasted away.

"HIKE!" Momo screamed as she tried to break free of her constraints. Plants began to sprout from the wood and ground, only Kikiyo's very force made them shrivel and die before they could be of any good use to the girl. Tears welled and poured from her eyes as she stopped trying, looked to the priestess and whined, "Why? Why are you doing this?"

Kikiyo turned to her niece and said, "Because. You are the only other being in this world like me. If I allow you to grow up, you will be the only one who will be able to challenge and defeat me."

Momo shook her head and said, "I won't! I won't I swear! Please . . . Just let me go!"

"I can't do that, because you will come after me one day," Kikiyo grumbled as she rested her feet upon the ground, and then walked closer to the girl. "You just don't understand yet, that's all . . . You don't truly know what you really are . . . Tenshimoto Uzume."

The name was unfamiliar to her. "I'm just a girl," Momo stated.

"No. Oh no, no, no . . ." Kikiyo said as she smiled and pulled out her dagger. "Well, technically you are a girl, but we come from a distinct line. One that isn't of this world, but from the heavens themselves. We are direct descendants, dear niece, of a celestial goddess, a _tennyo_."

Momo frowned and said, "I don't believe that."

"No?" Kikiyo asked as she smiled and brought the dagger up to the girls chest. "Then explain to me why we have such a close connection to nature, hmm. How I can bring together two wholly different forms and make them one. Tell, me child, why do I wear our ancestral robe of the _tennyo, _the _Hagoromo?_" Kikiyo snorted and then chortled, "Don't get me wrong. I had to kill a lot of people just to get my greedy little hands on this." A deep grimace overcame her face as she said, "You see, when my brother, your father, came into power . . . I was pushed aside. Since my brother was, well, a boy, he couldn't inherit the robe . . ."

Momo's stomach twisted into a knot when Kikiyo pressed the tip of the dagger on her chest and added light pressure. "STOP!"

Kikiyo giggled and brought her face right next to Momo's as she said, "The robe could only be passed on to the next heiress . . . That meant that I wouldn't get what was rightfully mine . . . instead, the _Hagoromo_ would have been passed on to you when you became of age." she leaned back and said, "You see, Uzume, -that is your real name besides that ridiculous Momo by the way- the robe's power can only be channeled by those with _tennyo _blood. Only females of our lineage. You and I can possess and control the true power of this robe! Only a goddess can defeat a goddess!"

Kikiyo jerked the dagger up as her eyes were wide and crazed.

"BROTHER! HELP ME!" Momo screamed and snapped her eyes shut as she braced for the impact.

The girl panted, waiting . . . waiting . . . She cracked an eye open, only to gasp and put her full gaze to the glistening blade that shook just above her chest. Kikiyo was struggling. The blade was jerking over Momo's very flesh as she started panting once again, and stared wide-eyed between the two people before her.

"You _dare _to betray _me_," Kikiyo hissed as she scowled.

The black furred paw on her wrist twitched, and the woman howled in pain when the dagger dropped from her grip and her hand bent at a unnatural angle as Shigitsune rasped, "Yeah, I fucking dare."

The fox berserker then twisted the woman's arm around, and then in a powerful kick, the _miko _was sent flying through a wall. He then turned back to Momo, who stared at him wide-eyed.

When their eyes met, Momo mumbled, "Brother?"

Shigitsune ripped away from the wood that kept the girl bound, as he mumbled, "You have to get someplace safe . . ."

"Wh- NO! I'm staying with you! Brother! What's going on!" Momo cried as he gently picked her up and carted her out of the building. "Where've you been! What happened to you!"

He set her down once they were outside of the building, knelt before her, and said, "Momo . . . Listen to me. Everything is going to be alright, but I need you to run. Runaway now. Hike and Sasuke are waiting for you on the other side of that building." - she looked to where he was looking - "Please . . . Runaway, and keep running. Don't stop until you are safe within the mountain, okay. Promise me."

"Promise me that you'll be okay! Promise me you'll come back!"

He smiled. "I promise, _Usagi. Brother will come home to you. Brother is always going to be here to protect you!_"

Tears ran down her face as she nodded and extended her pinky finger to him. He smiled and hooked his pawed pinky with hers.

"Promise," cried Momo as tears streamed down her face. "I love you brother!" she shouted as he then crashed into him, embracing him tightly.

He hugged her back, and said, "_I love you too, imooto, now _go Momo. Run."

The girl nodded, and then dashed away toward the building.

"I'm really disappointed in you, Shigitsune. I thought you were going to really be something great . . . But, now I can see that you are nothing more than a failed experiment."

With a growl, he turned and scowled at the woman as he said, "My name isn't Shigitsune."

"It's not?" Kikiyo taunted as she smiled. "Yes, it is. You are my puppet. My demon to control." She rose her hand and bore her eyes into his, and the fox howled as he grasped at his head in pain. "It only hurts if you fight against it, Shigitsune . . . So stop fighting it, and just give in!" she snapped as her eyes burned furiously. "Go back to your dormant state so I can get back to killing that brat. Fade into nothing!"

He fell to one knee as he rasped, "Nothing . . ."

"Yes . . . that's right. Don't you remember that you are invalid. That you are nothing."

"Nothing . . . I am not nothing . . ." A surge of energy had him collapsing to his knees and hands as blood trickled from his nose and ears.

Kikiyo hissed, "You are nothing! Listen to mommy, Shigitsune, or so help me I will have you destroy every fucking thing in this village!"

In a growl he rose his gaze to hers as bright orange energy began to burn around him. "My name is not Shigitsune! My name is NARUTO!"

A hellacious wind came and rushed toward the _miko _as Naruto rose to his height. As the gale force winds targeted her, she kept her ground and continued to try and keep her hold over the fox's mind, only it was far too late. Black fur burned away as a bubbling orange tail appeared behind him.

Naruto brought his arms to his chest and crossed them before his face, as he said, "I am not nothing! I am someone! I breathe and live! I have a heart and mind! I am Uzumaki Naruto! And I am a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village! I AM NOT NOTHING! RAGH!" he thrust his arms toward the priestess and orange chakra instantly rippled through the air and devastated all in its path.

More fur ripped and fell away from the man's form as he stood and watched the chakra wave move over the land. Kikyo kept her ground, sneering as she used her arm to block the chakra. It rushed her and for a moment she was caught within the destructive blast, only for it to pass and she reappear unscathed.

"You can't hurt me. Not when I'm wearing the robe of the _tennyo._" she smirked, to then raise her hand toward her face and say, "My turn."

She let out a cry as she swept her hand toward him and Naruto was sent tumbling back by the force of telekinetic energy. Kikiyo laughed as she levitated toward him, only to scream when from behind another Naruto slammed a spiraling orange sphere of energy into her back. She quickly turned only to have a bare human foot crack in her face and send her flying back. She crashed into one of Konoha's main walls, and crumbled to the ground as her robe fluttered in the air above her. It started to shake as a red haze overcame it, and Kikiyo pushed herself up to her feet. The fox pelt fell back from Naruto's face as he sped toward her, now having two orange tails flowing behind him. With a howl he crashed into her, and wrapped his arms around her. They both hit the wall full force and broke through it. The two tussled as they tumbled into the forest, as more and more of the orange chakra removed the animal pelt from Naruto's form. A third tail sprouted, as Naruto's features became all the more animalistic.

When they came to a stop, Naruto had the woman pinned to the ground.

"Vocation of the Holy Power! Bur-raaaahhh!" Naruto snatched her arm back and it snapped loudly as he held her other firmly in his grip.

"Don't you fucking dare," he spat.

She sneered and then said, "Oh get over it!"

Naruto gasped when he was suddenly launched off her and then slung into a nearby tree. Winded he fell to the ground as the _Miko _hovered closer to him. By using her hand as a medium, she thrust him up from the ground, and slammed him back into the tree and held them there by her telekinetic force granted to her by the robe she wore.

"I don't understand, Naruto . . . I thought we had a deal. All of those nasty memories that pained you so . . . Didn't you want to forget them? To never have to go through that pain again? Wasn't it nicer to be ignorant, to be my own personal pawn?"

"Don't be fucking stupid you demented priestess. You tricked me when I was at my weakest!" Naruto spat as he glared at her.

"Don't be a baby." she insisted. Then she sighed as she fingered a portion of the fox pelt that still clung to Naruto's skin as she said, "I had this all perfectly planned out you know. I lost a lot of minions when they hunted down this beast to get its pelt just so I could have you as my own little pet." She snatched on Naruto's hair to make him glare at her as she asked, "Where did I go wrong?"

"It wasn't your fault," Naruto said as she glared at him and pouted. "I mean, of course, you did everything right."

"Don't belittle me you fuck-tard."

"Oh come on! You had me. I mean, seriously you did. I gave in, and just let myself go, ya know. I mean what else was I to do. The girl I love was dead. Sasuke killed me . . . What was left for me? So I faded away into nothing . . . and let you, ya know, take over my mind and shit. But there was one thing that you kind of fucked-up on, _miko_."

She crossed her arms and said, "And what, exactly, is that?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "There is no such thing as nothing."

"What?" Kikiyo grumbled as she grew a flat look. "Of course there is."

"No there's not. There is always, _something_. In no place in or on this world, for the entire universe for that matter, is there nothing . . . not when the very fabric of all life exist as molecules and energy. The wind isn't _nothing_ even though we can't see it. Darkness isn't nothing either, because within that darkness there is something that is lurking . . . so there is always something, somewhere. So, it made me wonder, how can I become nothing, where there is no such thing as nothing?" Naruto stated as she blinked at him. He smiled and said, "If you really wanted the spell to hold . . . You should have made me forget everything again . . . To fall back into oblivion."

She smiled and said, "Well . . . I guess next time around, I'll get it right, won't I?"

Naruto lowly chuckled as he said, "There won't be a next time."

His eyes scowled in determination as he smiled and suddenly kicked the woman away. She held her stomach as she glared up at him infuriated. Naruto landed on the forest floor as the last of the pelt fell from his form. A fourth tail uncurled from behind him as the orange energy flared around his form, and made his body appear as if it were burning.

Kikiyo's face turned dark as she growled, "And what do you actually think you can do to me! I'm a fucking goddess!"

The robe behind her surged with energy and appeared as large wings as it fluttered wildly behind her. Her very presence made the atmosphere around heavy.

"Yeah," Naruto laughed as chakra surged from within him and his voice changed to a deep baritone. "Well I'm a fucking _shinobi _of the Hidden Leaf village, _dattlebayo_!"

Kikiyo stepped back when the man was engulfed within a pother of smoke and chakra suddenly exploded from him. Energy spiraled, forcing the wind and smoke to turn into a minuscule tornado that surrounded the area where Naruto stood. Leaves fluttered and dirt and leaves were pulled into the vacuum of wind as lightning flashed overhead. A deep laugh rumbled the very air as Kikiyo's eyes widened in terror. Then there was a tremendous boom as chakra exploded from the twister and rushed outward as shockwave through the village and forest.

"**I am Uzumaki Naruto! And I'm going to kick your goddess ass****!**"

A bright golden paw stepped from the cloud of the twister to crash to the ground, making the very land tremble. Trees snapped and crashed away when a large tail whipped into the air. Heavy gekkering vibrated the smaller stones and rocks on the ground as the muzzle of the beast slowly appeared out from the whirling dust and dirt.

Kikiyo's eyes grew very round as the black lined muzzle curved and exposed golden sharp teeth in a ferocious smile. Feral sapphire eyes bore into her own, as the wind died down and the smoke cleared revealing a huge energy construct of a golden-orange nine-tailed fox.

"How are you so powerful?" uttered the priestess as she gazed up at him in awe.

Naruto's eyes softly scowled as he said, "How am I so powerful? . . . I'm powerful from love. From the love of my precious people . . . And I won't let you harm any of them anymore!"

The fox loomed high over her, to roar as it suddenly launched toward her. The priestess screamed when she didn't move fast enough, and she was caught within imprisonment of teeth.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer**: I did not create, nor do I own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because I imagined them from the inspiration of Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Five: Stillness . . .**

A new life begins when a baby cries out . . .

Those supposed to be dead, fall returning to the earth as dust . . .

A cure is formed . . .

And a village stands in awe . . .

_**O**_range chakra rushed over the land like a rippling mist. It passed through buildings, even the people without harming them, but every impure creation of Kikiyo's instantly fell to their demise.

Daitoru bellowed and dropped his club as he fell to the ground, falling apart before Choji and Shikamaru. They both watched amazed as the bull demon crumbled into dust that became saturated into the flooded ground.

Tengu stood frozen with his eyes wide in horror when Kakashi approached with a burning, chirping Chidori bursting within his hand and aimed for Tengu's chest. Just as the attack hit, Tengu burst into dust that burned away into the atmosphere.

Sakura pushed the rat helm warriors to face from her own when the general suddenly became weak. She tossed it from her, was quick to her feet, and channeled chakra to her fist to then send it crashing through Nezumi's head, shattering the helm and skull in one single hit.

* * *

Sasuke continued to lead Hike and Momo along as he was urgently searched the caverns of the mountain for where they kept the hospital patients. Konohamaru now rested on a pallet having a medic look over him. This left Hike and Momo to their own devices. As Momo turned to the red-haired boy to question where he thought would be the best place to wait on her brother, two highly relieved _shinobi _ran up to them from out the mass of villagers.

"Hike! Momo! Where the hell have the two of you been!" Haruka shouted when she approached them with her teammate Shahoumaru. Both children smiled, and Haruka instantly embraced Hike and Momo in a tight hug. "We've been worried sick!"

Shahomaru's violet eyes were wide as he asked, "What happened to you guys?"

Hike rubbed his head and mumbled, "I don't really know what happened . . . We went to visit Naruto, and then suddenly we were being wrapped up by these vines."

"They had flowers on them that sprayed this mist into our faces, and it made us sleepy," Momo mumbled as she kept her eyes to the floor. Team thirteen looked at her with wide eyes. Momo blinked confused and mumbled, "What?"

"You're talking," Hike said as a smile overcame his face. "You're voice is so cute!"

Momo instantly blushed and slapped her hands over her face in embaressment. Haruka and Shahoumaru lightly chuckled as the girl then smiled at them and joined in their laughing.

It was like everything that transpired was nothing more than a dream now. Momo felt so safe. So accepted and wanted . . . It was hard to not realize, to remember the situation she no more than fifteen or twenty minutes ago was caught within. For some reason, the girl felt that it was over.

That it was all finally over . . . she was free.

There was commotion on the other side of the room that caused the four preteens to instantly grow silent.

"Where is she!" screamed Sasuke, his tone one of paranoia and anger.

The three pre-teens turned to the other side of the cavern where Sasuke stood, trying to force his way into an enclosed room. Villager's backed away, giving the distraught man room as he held his fist clenched at his sides. Even though the man was injured, beaten to almost to the brink of death, limping, bleeding, ready to collapse . . . Sasuke still stood tall, ready to go head to head if he had to against Konoha's aged Slug Princess.

Tsunade gently placed her hand on his shoulders and said, "Sasuke . . ."

"Why won't anyone tell me where my wife is! Why won't they tell me how's she doing!" he shouted as tears were brimmed in his eyes.

The retired Hokage's face softened as she said, "Sasuke, there were complications during the labor . . . Shizune done everything in her power-"

"No . . ." Sasuke snapped as he shook his head. "NO!"

When he pushed past her, Tsunade didn't try to hold him back. The blonde just watched as he rushed into the room, to slow, then come to a complete stop next to his wife's bedside.

She was sleeping . . . It looked as if Ino were sleeping.

"No . . ." he mumbled as his shaking hand slid over hers. "Ino," She didn't move, and her flesh felt so clammy and cold. So lifeless and pale. "I'm so sorry," he uttered as tears fell from his face. "Ino I'm sorry."

"Sasuke . . ."

"Leave me alone," he mumbled as he leaned over his pale wife's form and snapped his eyes shut. "Just leave me alone!"

There were thousands of things he should have said to her . . . But the most important was something he never could force himself to say. Even now as he leaned over her form, Sasuke still couldn't bring himself to say it, because it was wrong. He had plenty of opportunities in the past to tell her those three words, I love you; he never did though. It wasn't that he didn't love her . . . Sasuke just didn't feel as if he didn't deserve love.

He didn't even deserve to live.

Why couldn't that idiot just kill him? Why did Naruto as Shigitsune not let that orb of scarlet energy just rip him apart instead of slamming it into the tree next to his head? Why did Naruto spare him again?

Maybe it wasn't meant for anyone to take his life . . . Maybe it was up to Sasuke himself to rid the world of his presence. To rid everyone of his taint . . . His insignificance.

A soft cry forced him to stiffen and open his eyes. A baby whined softly causing him to slowly rise to his height. He looked behind him as Tsunade gently rocked a little bundle in her arms, and walked toward him.

"Tsunade," mumbled the raven-haired man as his stomach trembled nervously.

She smiled at Sasuke and said, "She's a lovely little thing."

He faced her as Tsunade then forced the bundle into his arms. Sasuke shivered as the tiny bundle couldn't have weighed over seven pounds. Within the pink blanket was a small light skinned infant. The baby's head was thick with raven black hair, but her eyes were so light . . . a bright newborn teal blue. The baby blinked at him, to then give a soft whine.

"I-Is she mine?" asked Sasuke blankly as he looked up at Tsunade.

She frowned at him. "No, I stole someone else's brat. Yes, she's yours."

His stomach done a complete flip-flop as tears burned at his eyes.

"Sh-She's okay? I-I thought-"

"Shizune saved the baby . . . She tried everything in her power to save Ino, but there was just too much stress on Ino's body. Ino stroked during the middle of labor, and Shizune had to perform an emergency delivery." mumbled Tsunade in a tired aged voice.

They grew silent as Sasuke just stared at the child, along with Tsunade. The baby shifted and let out a tired yawn. Her eyes opened wide for only a moment, to then drift gently close.

"She's going to have Ino's eyes . . ." Sasuke mumbled as he held the babe closer to him.

Tsunade nodded, and said, "And she's going to really need you right now, daddy."

Sasuke stared at her and let out an anxious breath. "No . . . I can't do this, Tsunade. I can't. I'm a failure. I . . . I can't raise a child on my own-"

"Don't be stupid." Tsunade scolded as she smacked him upside the head. "Haven't you heard the phrase, 'It takes a village to raise a child?' You have a whole family that's here with you, Sasuke. Can't you see that you've always had a family here?

"You won't be alone. You've never been alone in the first place, you idiot. You never will be, and neither will she. Konoha has always been your family. Wake up and see that."

"Tsunade-sama," a nurse mumbled as she knocked and then glanced into the room. "Shizune-san and Kenjima-san wanted me to inform you that the cure for the Internal Flame Flower is working. Patients who are in stages one and two are already showing improvements, while those who are in stages three and four are in remission."

Tsunade let out a sigh and said, "Finally, we're getting some type of break." She glanced at Sasuke and said, "And for once in your life, think of others instead of yourself, Sasuke. You have a daughter now, and you can't live in remorse." she glanced at Ino and mumbled, "She wouldn't have wanted you to."

Sasuke too looked back at Ino and mumbled, "No . . . she wouldn't have wanted me to."

"I'll be back to check on the both of you. Stay here and get some rest, Sasuke . . . I hope you have enough sense to at least give her a good name." With that said she went to the door.

"Tsuande-sama." Sasuke mumbled. The straw-blonde looked back at him with her brows raised in surprise.

The man looked so tired, beat and bruised, yet for the first time in his life genuinely happy.

Sasuke bowed and said, "Thank you."

She smiled, glanced back, and teased, "Now did that hurt?"

He scowled at her, but none the less was smiling. Another sudden noisy scene caught both the medic and ex-_shinobi's _attention. When Tsunade existed the room she watched as a congregation of people rushed pass. Sasuke too peeked out into the main halls, curious to what was happening now.

"What the hell is going on?" Tsunade asked as she followed the progression, and Sasuke stayed back, huddling his newborn closer to him as she slept peacefully.

Tsunade managed to push herself through the barrage of people, and she could hear cheering. Loud cheering coming from the outside. When she made it out, she discovered why. The invasion of Konoha had stopped . . . The minions were no longer in sight, as ninja were returning to the mountain with the good news. But that wasn't what most of the villagers and ninja alike were going apes about.

"Oh my god . . ." Tsunade mumbled as she stared in awe at the huge nine tailed fox that was on the opposite end of the village.

The beast didn't give off any bad vibes, nor did it even appear as the _kyuubi _the older generations knew and hated. The fox was bright yellow orange in color, with dark black spirals on its shoulders, followed by dark flaming ball shapes that resembled commas that too ringed around it's neck, but the symbol on the fox's forehead was different . . . The mark there was of their village, the insignia of the Hidden Leaf.

"Naruto . . ." Tsunade said as she smiled and shook her head. To her surprise, the fox turned to her and bared a bright grin. She scowled and laughed, "You knucklehead . . ."

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle as he smiled. That's who it was. The woman who was supposed to be standing in the Hokage's office instead of Kakashi sensei; it was supposed to be Tsunade-baba! She must've retired . . .

**This is nice, isn't it **_**gaki?**_ a deep voice commented within Naruto's mind.

Naruto nodded and thought, _Yeah . . . It's better this way._

**To work together . . . ** the _kyuubi _chuckled and said, **I told you that you would need me.**

The smile that appeared on Naruto's vulpine face was huge as he thought, _Yeah . . . But I didn't have to beg, now did I._

The fox merely growled. **Whatever, brat . . . Just be thankful.**

"I am . . ." Naruto said as he closed his eyes and energy began to retract. In a large plume of smoke, the golden orange fox vanished. Naruto reappeared upon the forest floor as he said, "It's good to be back, Kurama_._"

The beast within him grew apprehensive and mumbled, "**So you do remember everything now**."

Naruto nodded and said, "Yeah . . ."

Kurama nodded and closed his eyes, "**About time. Though, I wouldn't mind sleeping for another ten years . . . that was amazing.**"

With that said, the fox fully vanished from Naruto's mind. Naruto glanced around the area and mumbled, "Now where did I put that robe thing the crazy lady was wearing?"

He plundered around the forest until he found the robe Kikiyo once wore. It no longer was filled with energy, but now appeared as a plain looking white robe that had some frilly white feathers on it. Naruto tossed it over himself and felt a gentle warmth overcome him. It was kind of cold outside being that it was still slightly raining . . . and uh, he was completely naked.

"Naruto! Naruto!" he heard Sakura shout.

"Naruto! Where are you, man!" Kiba called.

Akamaru suddenly appeared, and Naruto yelped when the dog suddenly licked him right on the face . . .

"Awe man! Kiba get your dog!" Naruto whined as Akamaru steadily licked and nosed Naruto in an excited happy manner. "Come on, Akamaru . . . You lick your _dog-junk_ with that thing! Quit!"

"DUDE!" Kiba shouted as he came into view and threw his hands out in exaggeration. Akamaru bounded over to his master who said, "That was fucking awesome!" Kiba glanced around and then noticed that Naruto was wearing the _miko's _robe. "Where did the demented priestess go?"

At that exact moment, Naruto let out a long deep burp. He then coughed, to then choke out a small bell. It chimed when it hit the ground, and rolled to a stop near Kiba's feet.

Naruto groaned as he rubbed his stomach and mumbled, "Ooh, she's not going to settle well on my stomach. I can feel that already."

Kiba's jaw dropped as he uttered, "Y-Y . . .. Yo-yo you ATE her?"

"Would it make you feel better if I said, no?" Naruto asked dully.

"DUDE!" Kiba spat as he backed away two steps. "That's just freaky!"

Naruto merely shrugged.

"Hey, since when could you control the fox!" Kiba asked as Naruto's attention suddenly shifted onto someone else.

Naruto shrugged and said, "After he and I came a compromise about ten years ago. Before anyone knew about it, things happened and I got a bit lost on the road of life . . . which hold on one second, Kiba."

Kiba scowled confused as he watched Naruto walk toward the pink haired woman who appeared. She looked worn and tired as she had just walked from a fray. Long pink hair was tousled, angry red flesh shone upon Sakura's pale skin, and yet even though she felt pain she couldn't help but rush up to the blond-haired man and instantly start to look him over. She had been so worried about him!

Shikamaru slowed as Choji even stopped the other couple of younger ninja behind him when they watched Naruto march up to the worried medic.

"Naruto," Sakura mumbled as he neared. "Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

He didn't say anything. Instead, he walked right into her, hooked his arm around her waist, pulled her into him, and kissed her with bold passion. The _Hagoromo _suddenly danced around them as Sakura melted into Naruto's form. He slid his free hand along her face as Sakura's hands snaked around the back of his head and curled into his hair. He parted his lips, and Sakura gasped when she has completely swept away in a blissful loving kiss. When he pulled back the woman in his arms went weak-kneed from having him steal away her breath. She lightly panted as she stared up at him with glassy jade eyes.

"I am perfectly fine now, Sakura," his lips barely brushed against her own when he whispered, "And I have always loved you. I always will, Sakura-chan. Always."

And he pressed his mouth to hers and softly kissed her once again, and this time she was ready for it. Tears fell down her cheeks and a smile overcame her face when he expressed the emotion he felt for her through that one simple kiss. He was smiling too as the woman shivered, to then giggle when he wiped her tears away.

Sakura held him to her as she muttered in a shuttered breath, "I love you too, Naruto."

"Ahem . . ." Shikamaru cleared his throat, as Sakura blushed and hid her face upon Naruto's chest and Naruto merely glanced at him. "We do have more pressing matters at hand . . ."

"Right . . . Other matters . . ." Naruto mumbled as he smiled at Sakura and then pressed his lips against her forehead.

"When did you get out here? What happened to you?" Sakura asked. "One minute you were in a coma at the hospital, and then the next your out here?"

"It's a really weird story," Naruto said as he pulled her toward the village. "One that I'm going to have to try and explain to everyone at one time because I'm still not quite sure what happened the past couple of days myself. It's all . . . It like a huge blur." Looking at her curiously he said, "What about you, Sakura?"

She glanced at him confused. "What do you mean, what about me?"

His eyes hardened as he said, "You were dead, Sakura. I watched him kill you. You fucking died in my arms. How are you here? What am I missing?"

"Oh . . ." mumbled she as she instantly cast her gaze to the ground. "My plan didn't work out like it was supposed to . . . It was all my fault."

"So you got back your memories?" asked Shikamaru as he stepped in pace next to Naruto, no longer allowing the two privacy. "Or do you still have amnesia?"

Naruto stared ahead as he evenly said, "No." Shikamaru was about to question him more, only Naruto let out a sigh and said, "We'll talk about all of this later . . . I'd really like to get some clothes on. This robe is seriously cramping my style."

"But what about the priestess?" Choji questioned. "Where is she. We have to take her into custody."

Naruto laughed as he patted his stomach and said, "I've already taken care of that!"

"What does that mean?" asked Choji as he looked to Shikamaru.

Shikamaru had a strange look upon his face, as Kiba looked terrified as he blurted, "Dude . . . Naruto ate her when he went all nine-tailed on her ass!"

"He did not," Sakura grumbled as she glared at Kiba.

Everyone stopped walking when Naruto started to chuckle and walked ahead with his hands propped behind his head.

"Oh my god, Naruto? Did you eat that woman?" Sakura asked.

Naruto turned toward them and kept walking backward as he laughed, "Man . . . I forgot how funny you all look when you have those freaked out expressions on your faces. Hah, hah . . . So funny."

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted as she trotted after him.

Naruto's eyes twinkled mischievously when Sakura's fist clench dangerously. "Now that's the Sakura-chan I know!" He then laughed as he smiled cheerily, waved, and then said, "Laters." before he vanished, leaving behind nothing but a mass of swirling green leaves.

As the leaves danced and fluttered to the ground before Sakura, she stooped and scoffed, "I can't believe him!"

"How troublesome . . ." Shikamaru mumbled as he dully frowned. "He did eat her."

"I told you!" Kiba snapped anxiously as Akamaru barked in agreement.

Choji tilted his head as he mumbled, "Yeah . . . Well, how are we going to explain this one to Hokage-sama?"

Shikamaru frowned. "We're not."

* * *

Hazuki pulled the blanket around herself more as she watched the people around her. Their wounds had been tended to, and now they sat upon the Monument in order to keep out of everyone's way. Hazuki and her friend's along with countless others kept their eyes on the horizon as the dark dreadful night began to clear away into a bright shining new morning.

Both villagers and _shinobi _alike were working together when it came to the cleanup and restoration of the village. Konoha hadn't taken a large hit, but there was damage to many of the village's structures and there had been a few casualties. It was mainly the victims who didn't receive the treatment for the 'Internal Flame' poisoning soon enough and died in result. Other casualties were those like Mikado who were killed during the raid.

"I told you that the ninja would take care of this, Hazuki." Takashi mumbled as he nudged the girl's shoulder with his own. "They've always protected us."

"Are you okay, Hazuki? I know you're sensitive around so many _shinobi_," said Chiku as she stared at the girl concerned.

Hazuki smiled and looked thoughtful as she said, "No . . . ya know what? I think I'm okay now." she glanced at the crowd of people around her and said, "I can't let that image haunt me forever . . . I know. I can see them now. I see them for what they really are. Not all ninja are bad . . . though there are some who are." she looked back at her friends and said, "I can't keep holding this grudge and fear for all the _shinobi_. I can't let the bad ones represent those who are good. It's not fair for the ones who are our protectors . . . who are our heroes. I can't fear those who put their lives on the line for us . . . They don't deserve it."

"Well put, Hazuki," said Takashi with a smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

"Oh! Did you see the fox?" Chiku asked as she smiled when the sun began to rise.

Soft warm light illuminated the front of the mountainside as Hazuki said, "Yeah . . . That was my brother protecting us . . ."

"Hazuki!"

The brunette turned upon hearing someone call her name. It was a small voice, one of a girl. It was unfamiliar, yet felt familiar. Hazuki gazed amongst the crowd. Her eyes widened when Momo pushed past a couple of chatting _shinobi_ and then paused to smile at her. With tear filled eyes and a happy giggle, the peach-haired then crashed into older sister and wrapped her into a tight hug.

"Momo-chan?" uttered Hazuki relieved and curious as she embraced the girl tightly. She then held the girl out to look over her as she said, "_Kami_! Are you alright?" -tucked strands of the girl's hair behind her ear to better see her dusty face- "You're not hurt?"

"No! No, I'm fine, sister! Brother saved me! I was so worried that something might have happened to you though!" Momo both said yet signed out of habit.

Hazuki cupped the girl's face as she looked at her with tearing blue-eyes. "M-Momo . . . Y-you're speaking."

The brown-eyed girl blinked. She then softly smiled and said, "I guess I am . . ."

Both girls giggled to then embrace each other once again. The chattering around them began to deaden. Chiku's mouth gapped open as she tapped the back of her hand against Takashi's arm. He scowled at her until he followed her wide-eyed gaze.

"Hazuki . . . Momo."

Both girls's instantly separated and looked to the approaching figure.

Momo was the first to bolt upright and literally launch herself at the golden-haired man. He oofted when the girl crashed into him with her arms latching around his robed waist, the impact causing him to fall back onto his rear. Hazuki stood, crossed her arms and humbly smiled as she watched Momo and Naruto go through their silly rituals.

"You came back!" Momo happily cried.

Naruto laughed. "I promised I would, didn't I, _Usagi_?" he smiled at her and said, "Uzumakis never go back on their word, Momo. A promise is a promise. Our word is our word. That is our _nindo_. The Uzumaki ninja way. Besides . . . You made me pinky swear and I couldn't break that, now could I?"

The girl giggled and shook her head. "No . . ."

He ruffled her hair and curiously asked, "You're talking now . . . For now?"

"For now," the girl mumbled, her hands moving in signs as well as she smiled playfully. She clasped her hands on his cheeks, stared him in the eyes and said, "We're all safe and brother is fine. Everything is right with the world."

Naruto nodded. "Almost. I have to go talk to the Hokage now because a lot of things happened that I have to tell him about. I came here to check on you and Hazuki before I go to do that, and to ask you both if it was okay that-"

"What in the world are you wearing, Naruto?" asked Hazuki in a giggle. "Isn't that a girl's robe?"

He looked at her dully and said, "I had a wardrobe malfunction - sue me."

"I hope you're going to change your clothes before you go before the Hokage, _ani._ At least look respectable."

"I'm going to change!" he proclaimed as he was quick to his feet and pulled Momo up with him.

Hazuki's arms tightened as she scowled and said, "Good because I don't want you looking like some idiot when you go in there to reclaim your _shinobi _status."

Naruto was about to retort, until her words sunk in. His expression was a mixture of shock, confusion, and humility. With a bright smile on her face, Hazuki closed in the distance and embraced Naruto, and sighed.

"I'm not scared anymore, _ani, _and this isn't fair to you anymore." she pulled back and stared him in the eyes as she said, "Don't hold back on the account of me anymore. Don't let my insecurity be what binds you not be truly happy." Momo moved next to Hazuki as the older brunette smiled, and said, "It's time, _ani_, goes back to doing what makes him, _him. _Uzumaki Naruto, it's time for you to be who you really are - a ninja of this village."

Momo's little hands clenched before her as she smiled and excitedly said, "I can't wait! Naruto-ni will start going back out on missions, and then he'll come home to tell us all about his adventures! It's going to be so awesome!"

He smiled at them, a warmth swelling in his chest as he mumbled, "When did you get so grown up, eh, Hazuki?"

She smirked, "Someone has to be in this family."

Naruto chuckled and ran his hand over his hair. He then smiled brightly, thrust his arm out with his hand clenched and thumb extended in the 'nice-guy' pose and stated, "I won't let either of you down, dattebayo! I promise."

Then, to everyone's surprise, he popped and dissipated in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

Naruto rose his head slightly as a smile curved on his face. The memory from the clone - its own feelings rushed over him and lured him into a placid state. A bit more confident, he pulled at the fabric of the navy blue garbs. They felt . . . right, even though they weren't truthfully his. They were old . . . a bit outdated, but the material itself strong as ever. He'd have to order something more him later on . . . Though, this color blue really did suit him. It even had the bright red spiral of _Uzu_ on the shoulders. Smoothing the creases out once more, Naruto let out a breath and then stepped into the sight of the mirror.

It made his stomach turn, while a warmth flooded into his chest. All he needed was the green _chuunin _flack jacket, and the long white, red-flamed hemmed trench coat and he'd be able to pass himself off as his father's double . . . Though there were still huge differences between the two.

Naruto for one had his mother's wide and bright deep blue eyes. Also, his broad-shouldered frame also came from the Uzumaki Clan, and of course there were his birthmarks . . . Marks he received from being born of the nine-tailed _biju_'s _Jinchuuriki _Uzumaki Kushina. Naturally, Naruto possessed the fox's chakra while developing within the womb . . . so even if he didn't house the _kyuubi _within him, he'd still bear the whisker-lined marks and even a portion of the beast's own chakra. They were apart of him, and what gave him his own unique appearance that denied him to be of his father's spitting image.

Naruto smiled though because even though he was clearly, Naruto, he was clearly the son of Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage.

He settled with the blue turtle neck and tactical pants that once his father wore for now because it was the only shinobi attire within the entire house. His thumb grazed on the smooth metal, to then trace the glyph of the Leaf. Looking down at the forehead protector, Naruto then shifted it between his hands and brought it to his head.

The black fabric pushed the mess of golden bangs from his face, sending yellow spikes upward. Soft whooshing sounded as he effortlessly tied the long strands of the protector to his head, and then let his hands fall. As he looked upon himself, another figure dimly appeared within the mirror. It was him . . . A teenager shorter-haired, wearing his orange and black garb, bearing a large smile.

"_You did it._" said the image as he lifted his hand with his fist clenched.

Naruto pressed his knuckles against the mirror where his past self's knuckle's hovered. "Yeah . . . I did."

"_I knew I could count on you . . ._" said the image as he gave the original a thumbs up.

Naruto merely smiled.

His image began to fade, but before it did his younger self said, "_Don't make me come back now, _dattebayo_. I won't be so nice next time._"

Naruto chuckled, and then like that he was left to watch his reflection within the mirror. His adult reflection . . . One that resembled his father's image. One that reflected his mother's heritage.

It was time . . .


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer**: I did not create, nor do I own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because I imagined them from the inspiration of Narutoverse.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six:** TheWind Down

_**K**_akashi tapped his fingers against one another and rose his only visible brow as he said, "He did what now?"

As he watched his loyal ninja, Kakashi leaned forward and propped his left elbow on the desk before him and rested his chin on his balled fist. Sakura looked at Kiba as she crossed her arms, her milky-jade glare saying, 'well go ahead and tell him, idiot!' Shikamaru, on the other hand, took to lazily leaning against a wall with his dark gaze upon the ceiling. Choji was eating away at chips as the suspense was just too much, while Kiba and Akamaru stood before the Hokage's desk. Kiba's shoulders slumped, as a defeated yet quite a dull expression appeared on his face.

The dog-man sighed. "It's like I said," said Kiba. "Naruto ate the priestess when he went all _kyuubi _on her ass."

"Mmm-hmm . . ." hummed the Hokage. So he didn't hear them wrong. "What do you mean, he _ate _the priestess?"

Kiba was about to explain, _again_, only he was saved.

"I didn't eat her."

Everyone turned toward the new voice. Kakashi sat upright as he stared at the blue-garbed man who was crouched within the window. The bright morning light distorted the man's silhouette, and for a moment Kakashi would have sworn that it wasn't Naruto standing there, but Kakashi's own deceased sensei . . . That is until Naruto smiled and threw up a peace sign and said, "So did ya'll miss me?"

"You're late," Kakashi replied.

Their gazes followed him as he hopped down from the ledge of the window, and smiled as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, ya see . . . There was this cat stuck up in a tree-"

"Naruto," mumbled Kakashi, "Explain."

"I was explaining-"

"No . . . not about you being late! About the priestess, the fox, and you."

"Oh. Well, technically, I did eat Kikiyo," said Naruto with a shrug. "Kiba's just blowing things out of proportions."

"Dude, how can you say that when I watched a bell choke its way out of your mouth!" countered Kiba as he clenched his fist at the blond.

"Why would you eat her, to begin with!" Sakura fumed as she rounded to Naruto. "That was a human being!"

Naruto rolled his eyes as he walked past them and groaned, "It's not what you think . . ." He stopped and looked back at Sakura and Kiba as he threw up a 'good guy' pose, smiled and said, "Hey, trust me. Just wait . . . Watch."

The expression that then appeared on Naruto's face then was one of sure concentration. He closed his eyes and rested his hands on his stomach. His chakra flared, appearing orange as his belly began to spasm. The strangest sounds came from him. It was as if he were repeatedly burping. Akamaru backed away when he realized that the man was about to regurgitate.

"No way . . ." Kiba muttered as he glanced at his nindog. "Are you serious?"

A loud belch rumbled, to soften into a painful groan and Naruto opened his mouth. It expanded far beyond what a humans mouth should as a dark blob appeared sliding out from his mouth. He arched forward as in a gross slurp, a large wet form crashed to the ground before him.

Naruto groaned as he rubbed his throat, belched again, and then began to smack his lips and wipe his tongue on his sleeves.

"Aww . . . She tastes like crap!" Naruto whined as his academy-mates stared at him with comical round eyes.

Kikiyo sat up and blinked as she started to hyperventilate. She looked up at Naruto and snapped, "You cheated! You fucking ate me!"

Naruto dully said, "Hey, there were no rules so how the hell did I cheat?!"

"Do you have any idea what it's like to be _eaten_?" she asked in a shriek.

"Sure do. I was eaten by a snake once. Oh and a toad. It's not very pleasant, is it?" said Naruto with a smile.

"Go to hell, you fuckin' son of a bitch." she pouted. She looked at her shaking hands to then screech when she noticed she was covered in slime. "This is _disgusting! _ARGH! This isn't fair! I was supposed to win, damn it! I WAS SUPPOSED TO WIN!" She curled her fingers into a fist and started to sob in defeat.

"DUDE!" roared Kiba as he pointed at Naruto. "What the? How the!"

"What?" Naruto asked as everyone stared at him. "I've seen worse things come out of people's mouths! And she _is _alive! You didn't think I'd actually _eat _her do you? I contained her!"

"I've never seen a person come out of another person's mouth though," mumbled Choji as he crumbled up his bag of chips, slightly pale in the face.

Naruto frowned. "Then you haven't fought against Orochimaru . . ." he shivered. "Now that is a disturbing image." Naruto shook it off and said, "This jutsu is one slightly similar to when Jiraiya would summon a toad's stomach, but instead I used the fox's stomach." looking up at Sakura, Naruto said, "You might want to treat her for chakra poisoning though . . . She was tumbling around inside the furball for about thirty minutes now, and she might be dealing with some of the nasty side effects of _his_ chakra." He suddenly rose a brow and glanced upward. Naruto then nodded and said, "Oh, and her skin might still continue to go through the stages of pre-digestion . . . She might get pretty gross looking if you don't stop it."

The pink-haired _kunoichi _nodded once, with a slightly perturbed visage. Kakashi sighed, and then gave a short wave of his hand. AMBU appeared; two next to the priestess, and one before and behind her.

"She needs medical treatment and to be placed in solitary. Get her out of here." ordered the _Hokage_.

"_Hai,_" the AMBU said in unison, before taking custody of Kikiyo and leaving.

Once they were out of the room, Kakashi set his gaze on Naruto. "Now, I need you to explain what happened. From what I can gather, you were infected by Kikiyo's chakra poisoning too and admitted into the hospital. You were in a comatose, guarded and monitored . . . Yet someone still managed to steal you away, and for the priestess to turn you into a monster. Can you explain what happened?"

Naruto scratched his cheek and mumbled, "It's hazy . . . I don't even think I even really know what happened."

"Try," ordered Kakashi as he kept a stern glare on the man. "Think back to the start, before you were taken to the hospital."

"I don't remember the hospital," Naruto mumbled as he looked to the floor and propped his hands upon his head as he began to think. "Hmm . . . I do remember that I'd just put Sakura in my bed-" Kiba chuckled, only to yelp when Sakura's elbow caught him right in his abdomen. "-and I was fixin' to crash on the couch when I heard this tapping noise. I checked the house, but I didn't really see anything wrong, not until I came back into the living room. The balcony doors were open and there was this flower just sitting there . . ." Naruto closed his eyes in reminiscence as he began to slowly pace as he said, "Then there was the music. I remember the melody, how it flowed with the blooming flower . . . and I couldn't help but want to touch the thing . . . That I _had _to touch it, that is until the _kyuubi's _voice knocked me out of the trance."

"Wait, the _biju_ helped you?" asked Kakashi as he sat up in his chair.

Naruto shook out of his daze, stopped, and then blinked at the Hokage. "Yeah . . . but he was cryptic and a real bastard about it." He suddenly grew a flat look and mumbled, "Well . . . you were."

Kakashi cautiously questioned, "Naruto . . . are you communicating with it now?"

"Does it matter?" asked Naruto as he crossed his arms. "There's nothing wrong with the seal. Everything's fine, so don't freak out. Now, back to the story!" He let his hands drop from his head as he began to pace again as he said, "Even though the fox broke me out of the _genjutsu_, I didn't realize I was already infected, not until after I summoned a clone and the virus or whatever it was started to attack my chakra. Everything went to hell after that . . .

"Things in my head got all jumbled up, ya know. Yousuke's memories, my memories, sealed memories . . . they collided and clashed; what was supposed to be white was black, and everything that was supposed to be black was white. It was a fucked-up mess. One hell of an inverted nightmare, and I didn't know how long I was going to be able to handle it. It really sucked not having any idea who the hell I was, what I really was, who the fuck I was supposed to be . . . It was driving me crazy, and the further I ran, or the further I pushed or fought, the heavier the pressure got. Eventually, everything pushed down on me and all of it just faded into nothing . . . At least, until the darkness began to retreat, but it didn't fade. I started to see things. Where nothing existed, things began to appear. It started with colors. Outlines and shapes. Then the voices . . . I didn't understand it at first, not until the images started to come sharper, and started to move . . . I realized then it was memories. I started to remember the one thing that I forgot. The one thing I never wanted to remember, or ever fuckin' see again. I remembered Sasuke."

Naruto turned his cold gaze onto Sakura as he said, "I remember what he did to you, and I lost it." he looked away from her and sighed. "I let my anger get the best of me, and fucked everything up. My charka, the nine-tails' chakra both the good and bad, it started to rip me apart. I couldn't focus right, because I couldn't stop thinking of how much of a screw up I was."

"Naruto," mumbled Sakura sadly.

"I mean, it was the ultimate fail. Yeah, so what about what happened to Madara and Kubuto. Epic wins, right. I never though of it as that. It's never been about winning, not to me. It's always been about protecting the ones I care about: my precious people . . . and when Sasuke killed her . . . I failed. I wanted to fade away . . . and she helped me do that."

"Who helped you?" asked Kakashi.

Naruto looked at him and said, "Kikiyo."

"Wait, you let that bitch do that to you?" asked Kiba as he scowled and stepped closer to Naruto. "What the fuck man, you betrayed us!"

"Momentarily," Shikamaru said in Naruto's defense as he too stepped forward to push Inuzuka back. "Calm down and let's hear the rest of what he has to say before you go accusing anyone of anything." He turned his face to Naruto and said, "Go on."

Naruto shrugged and continued his banter. "At the moment, I was back to that night. I was just a teenager again . . . I'd just watched the guy I thought was my best friend kill the girl I love, and I got a bit depressed. All of the things Kikiyo said . . . they sounded awesome at the time because I didn't want to be in that place anymore. To be stuck in the dark like that . . . knowing that everything you fought for had been taken away in the blink of an eye . . . Yeah, Kikiyo used that moment in my life to trick me, but I let her." He looked to Kiba and said, "So yeah, I guess you can say I betrayed everyone there for a while, but it wasn't intentionally. Kikiyo temporarily faded away all the memories, the pain, my own identity . . . she made me fade away as I wanted. I became nothing, and the moment she managed to grab control of my will, she had me." Naruto smiled . . . but the expression, his smile wasn't a friendly one as he said, "I mean think about it, Kiba. If I really wanted to betray Konoha . . . I would have done it a long time ago, back when those very thoughts used to creep into my head. Back when I hadn't a clue that I was a _jinchuriki_, long before I understood why everyone hated me, why no one would acknowledge me. Do you know how easy it would have been then?"

"Naruto," Kakashi warned as he watched the two men as the atmosphere grew heavy.

With a shrug, Naruto turned away and sighed. "Yeah, yeah . . . Anyway, back to the main point to the story, after the priestess grabbed control of my heart, I guess that's when she turned me into that warped fox-thing."

Sakura asked, "Do you know how she managed to get you out of the hospital, Naruto? We have security going over the tapes . . ."

Naruto shook his head and said, "I don't know as I said, I don't remember anything about the hospital. I didn't even know I was in a hospital until you guys started talking about it. Everything I felt and went through was completely mental, so yeah . . . someone could have stabbed a _kunai_ in my heart and I probably wouldn't have felt it. Shit, I don't even remember much of the jutsu Kikiyo used on me, or what the hell she exactly did to me. Anytime I'd manage to get some type of conscious, she'd wipe me back out." He rubbed his temples, closed his eyes, and said, "I only remember bits and pieces . . . Images mainly, I think we were underground but I can't be sure. The firelight was real dim, but I could see roots dangling from the ceiling . . . vines, I think we're keeping me bound. I could feel something burning on me . . . like millions of tiny teeth were slowly moving over my skin and attaching to it. That's about it though. Other than those few things, it was nothing but darkness. I guess her jutsu wasn't strong enough to hold back everything I felt inside though. My own emotions were to powerful. That pain was just too much to cage, cause once I got a whiff of Sasuke's scent, Kikiyo's will started to crumble."

"You went after Sasuke," said Kakashi.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I went after him. It was all instinctual though. It was like I was programmed to find him . . . I think the furball had something to do with that . . . I don't know, 'cause the bastard won't say. I do know that I wanted to fight against the _teme_ one last time so that way I could send us both to Hell, but then he knocked some sense into me," Naruto rubbed the back of his head and said, "That one strike to my head was like a super jumpstart, 'cause I started to remember things. It was slow at first because I was having an emotional tantrum and I really, _really _wanted to fuckin' kill the _teme_ at the point so _bad _that I literally couldn't see straight. But, the more I fought him the more I remembered . . . and Sasuke was nothing like I remembered him to be. The man I was fighting, he was a shell . . ." scowling his sapphire eyes, Naruto calmly asked, "What the hell happened to him? How the hell is he still _here_?" waving his arm toward Sakura he spat, "How is she here? I watched her die! She died in my fuckin' arms!"

Sakura exhaled and mumbled, "Naruto . . ."

"That is something that Sakura and Sasuke will have to speak with you about, Naruto. Not I." interjected Kakashi as he rose from his seat and moved before his desk to then lean back against it. "So from your fight with Sasuke, I take it you awoke from Kikiyo's jutsu?"

"Apparently," said Naruto as he glared dully at Kakashi. "I wouldn't be here now if I hadn't."

"And the _kyuubi_?" asked Kakashi.

"We've come to an agreement," said Naruto coldly as he put his scowled gaze to the floor.

Kakashi's visible brow rose as he said, "What kind of agreement, Naruto?"

The blond-haired man paused for a moment. Naruto took in a deep breath of air, looked up to his former sensei, and said, "I can't tell you. I'd be a breach of contract, and if I break any part of the agreement, it'll become void on my part. If the contract becomes void on my account, then I will die. I can't explain it anymore to you than that."

"That's not going to cut it for me, Naruto." said Kakashi as he pushed back from his desk and stood. "I'm not taking any chances with that monster-"

"Kakashi _sensei_," said Naruto calmly as he stood before the man and rested his hands on his shoulders. Keeping eye contact Naruto smiled and said, "You don't have to worry about anything, _sensei_ . . . Alright. Trust me. Everything will be fine. I have all of this figured out, everything is already planned . . . Have faith in me like my parents did. I got this, _dattlebayo_."

For the moment, the teacher and student stared each other down. Naruto had passed him in strength ages ago . . . but it seemed that the knuckle-head still had a long ways to go before he was ready to become Hokage. A large smile cracked along Naruto's face as he chuckled and backed away.

"Is this meeting done yet, _sensei_? I have things I have to do." snickered Naruto as he continued toward the door. Sakura's eyes widened when Naruto grasped her hand and pulled her along with him.

Kakashi's brow rose as he said, "What kind of things, Naruto?"

"Ya know, ninja things. The village isn't going to put itself back together by itself now, is it?" Looking back at Kakashi, Naruto said, "I guess we can go ahead and consider this my official first day back as a _shinobi, _but I'm going to be expecting some missions after this, good ones too. I have a couple of little sisters who want some good stories."

Kakashi crossed his arms as a smile graced his masked face, and he leaned back against the desk. He nodded and said, "I think we might be able to arrange that . . ."

Shikamaru smiled and said, "Hey, Naruto." The blond-haired man paused before he exited the door and nodded his chin at his friend. Shikamaru's smile broadened as he said, "There's a chunnin exam coming up in about another three months, being that you're still technically a _genin_."

Instantly Naruto's face scrunched up in a pout as the others within the room chuckled. He couldn't help but chuckle with them though, because even though he was still classified as a genin, he was one of the most bad-ass genin in all of Konoha . . . of Fire Country, hell . . . within the whole ninja world.

Naruto looked back at the lot and said, "Well . . . I did say a long time ago that even if I were stuck a genin forever, I would still become the Hokage." He set his serious gaze to Kakashi and said, "Maybe not today or tomorrow, but eventually I'll be ready to take your seat, _sensei_. Just not quite yet. There are a lot of things I want to do before I retire to that chair."

With that said Naruto left, leaving Kakashi shaking his head and smiling . . . Maybe the knuckle-head was ready. Well, almost ready.

Naruto and Sakura were silent as they strolled through the halls of the Hokage's tower, and even along the streets of Konoha. Years ago when they were kids, Haruno Sakura wouldn't have been caught dead holding Uzumaki Naruto's hand. As teenagers years back, there was no way she'd allow his hand to hold hers in such a simple intimate fashion - everything would have been professional. Now as adults . . . Sakura couldn't think of anything else she'd rather do when walking next to him like this. To feel the calluses on his hand and the warmth that it provided . . . To sense his energy so close, and know that he was there . . .

Naruto glanced at her, flushed lightly, and smiled. "You keep staring at me," he mumbled, causing Sakura to blush.

She fiddled with the fringe of her hair and giggled, "Sorry . . . I didn't mean it."

"It's okay . . . it's just the expression is what caught me off guard. It was like back when we were kids and you were stalking after Sasuke." Naruto laughed.

"Nah-uh," Sakura whined as she gently jabbed her elbow into his side. She looked at him with a scowl and said, "And I did not have any type of expression when I swooned over Sasuke-kun." Mockingly dignified she said, "I looked normal thank you very much."

"Like a crazed fan-girl, normal," said Naruto, earning him a punch to his biceps. "What! You know I'm right, Sakura-chan! I mean you'd look at him so adoringly, yet when you saw me it was like, 'Eew, walking plague! Blagh-run away'!" he teased as he made faces, and then stuck out his tongue.

"Was not," she laughed.

Naruto chuckled to then sigh as he ran his free and through his hair. "Heh . . . I guess I got to a point where I believed that you'd never look at me like that . . . no matter how much I tried. That you'd only hold that type of expression for him."

Sakura nodded in understanding and mumbled, "People change over time. especially when they lose something that they never realized they had." Tears burned at her eyes suddenly, but the pink-haired woman quickly wiped them away. "I realized a lot of things back then . . ."

He looked at her and squeezed her hand."I know, Sakura-_hime. _You don't have to bring it up right now . . . we have to talk later anyway. Right now everything is still a bit chaotic . . . we need to help get everything back to order for now."

Sakura nodded in agreement as they came before the hospital where injured villagers were being carted in. Naruto squeezed her hand and slightly frowned.

"Come on," said Naruto as he lead her toward the hospital.

Sakura said nothing but wondered why he suddenly changed. He went from being happy to suddenly . . . serious. It made her stomach turn.

They wandered through the hospital. Sakura time to time stopped and checked on the progress of some of her fellow medical staff, or helped in treating minor injuries as Naruto patiently waited. Once Sakura was done, she was again walking next to the blond-haired man, her hand in his. When they turned down a darker and less lively corridor, Sakura's stomach again turned.

Before Naruto pushed open the set of double doors, Sakura asked, "Naruto? What are we doing down here in the morgue?"

He looked back at her and squeezed her hand, but didn't say anything. Instead, Naruto pushed through the doors and continued to lead her down the hallway. Sakura hadn't a clue to what he was doing . . . until she saw Sasuke. The raven-haired Uchiha wore an impassive visage as he stared down at the pale face upon the table. Sasuke glanced their way and tried to smile in greeting, but it turned more into a scowl.

Sakura moved toward the table as her stomach's nerves vanished and left a dreadful cold weight in her stomach. Naruto's hand slipped from her's as she kept her eyes on the person on the table.

"Ino?" uttered Sakura in disbelief as she rushed to the table and rested her hands on the woman's cold pale face.

Tears flooded to her eyes as she timidly touched Ino's hair and then straightened the white sheet laid upon her. It didn't really look like Ino was dead . . . I looked as if she were just sleeping . . .

Sasuke looked to Naruto and asked, "Can you do anything? The fox's chakra . . . it's composed of life energy right. Can you bring her back?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "It doesn't work like that, Sasuke. I'm not a god." He moved closer to Ino, and frowned. "You can't think of this as her end, because it's not. This is just another part of life-"

"Don't feed me that shit right now, Naruto-"

"Listen to what I'm saying, _teme_," snapped Naruto as he suddenly gripped Sasuke's shirt and yanked him toward him, making them face to face. "She's not dead. Her physical body is dead, but her spirit isn't. She's just gone from this stage of life into another, and when you reach the stage she's in . . . Ino will be there waiting."

Sakura looked to the two as Naruto let Sasuke go. Naruto grew silent as he sighed and rubbed his temples.

"As a sage, I learned a lot of crap about this stuff. Through life experiences . . . I learned that you have to let nature take its course. Even though I might have the power to bring her back . . . I'm not going to do it, Sasuke." stated Naruto. "Think about it, Sasuke . . ."

"Y-you could bring her back?" asked Sakura as she stared at him. "If you have that type of power then why don't you use it, Naruto!"

"Because it isn't right!" snapped Naruto as he glared at her. Naruto frowned and looked away. "It's not right. It's wrong. Don't you guys understand that? Besides . . . _I don't have that type of power_. That energy doesn't do what you think it does. It might be life-energy, but it isn't meant to be used like that. I could be selfish and use it to bring back Jiraiya and my parents . . . but I wouldn't to that to them. So I _won't_ let that power be used like that . . . and I'm going to make sure it'll never be used like that, because after me . . . there will be no more _Jinchurikki_ holding the force of the nine-tailed fox." Naruto stared at the two and said, "I will be the last."

"Naruto . . ." mumbled Sakura as she wiped her eyes and then looked back to Ino.

Looking over the dead woman, Naruto frowned to then smile. "She's alright . . . so don't worry about her. It's sad that I won't be able to catch up with her . . . but, we'll all meet again in a place that's way better than this one. We'll catch up then, right Ino." There was no response, but Naruto smiled. "And don't worry about little, Kaiya. I'll make sure Sasuke doesn't fuck up raising your daughter Ino-"

"Go to hell, Naruto."

"- See what I mean. But, you already know how he can be, but he'll make an okay dad . . . once he gets that stick out his ass. You got nothing to worry about, 'cause Sakura's here to make sure that we both don't screw up or do anything stupid. Well, to make sure Sasuke doesn't screw up or do anything stupid."

"Naruto, I swear . . ." grumbled Sasuke as he glared at the blond. He then looked at Naruto wide-eyed and asked, "How did you know Ino wanted to name the baby Kaiya if she were born a girl?"

Naruto merely chuckled and began toward the door. "I'll see you guys later. We all have to talk later anyway. Say your tearful goodbyes to Ino now so you'll be able to stand strong at the funeral . . ." he began toward the doors, to pause and look back. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, she'll hear everything you have to say, so the both of you, say it now."

With that said, Naruto pushed open the doors and left his two former teammates behind. They both needed the alone time to talk . . . They both were close to Ino, and needed the closure. Later, once the village was settled and his sisters were secure, Naruto would talk with them . . . and find out what happened that night ten years ago.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer**: I did not create, nor do I own Naruto, Masashi Kisimoto did and does. I cannot claim any characters of my own creation either, because I imagined them from the inspiration of Narutoverse.

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**Chapter 27:** Ten Years Back

_**T**_he funerals progressed slowly. Civilians went about their own personal funerals, as _shinobi_ funerals were open, performed at midday as the sun shined down overhead. Patchy clouds lazily drifted throughout the sky as the Hokage began the ceremony. It wasn't long after that when all ninja lined up and went to each fallen warriors' memorial and said their goodbyes. Some of the people cried as others stood tall and proud, while others were lost within a dazed state.

"These three lives may have been lost, but will never be forgotten." That was Kakashi's final words before he left the ceremony, and left the faithful to morn over their comrades. This left Sasuke and Inochi Yamanaka to stand by Ino's memorial alone.

Kaiya lightly whined as nin passed. Some gave the ex-_shinobi_ their condolences, as others glared at Sasuke. It gave the black-haired man the clear expression that it should've been him buried deep beneath the earth within a coffin, not Ino.

"Don't let it affect you, Sasuke."

Sasuke glanced at the elder blond – a man from whom Ino had gained her appearance, but in much more womanly and attractive way. Time had been kind to the man, but it was starting to show now with the crow's feet etched around his eyes. Inochi gently clapped Sasuke's shoulder and serenely smiled.

"Their glares and hateful stares don't let them get to you," said Inochi.

"It's a little hard not to." stated Sasuke as he scowled. "Their killing intent is clear . . . It's upsetting Kaiya."

Inochi frowned and said, "They know no better. No matter how much we try to erase hate from the world, it's still there." He turned his blue gaze to Sasuke's black one as he said, "It'll never go away, and that's why it's up to us as parents to teach our children not to cling to hate or let it control them." Inochi shrugged and once again smiled. "Things like this happen. . . As _shinobi_ we know this, and if the other cannot accept this, then don't worry about them. It doesn't matter what they think, it's what you believe in and think. I believe that you've redeemed yourself, Sasuke. Ino saw this long ago, before anyone else, so believe in her faith. See yourself in how she saw you."

Sasuke turned his gaze to the thinning line of _shinobi_ and said nothing. He couldn't reply to that, because he had no faith in himself at all. He didn't deserve this life . . . this chance.

"Sasuke," said Inochi, causing the dazed man to look to him. "Will you allow Kaiya to be a part of our lives?"

"What?" asked Sasuke stumped.

Inochi smiled at the infant as he said, "If not we understand-"

"Why would I keep Kaiya from you, Inochi-san?" questioned Sasuke confused. "She's your granddaughter. I never had any intentions of keeping any of the Yamanakas' out of her life. Ino wouldn't have wanted that."

Inochi's smile broadened as he said, "I'm glad to hear that." He once again pats Sasuke's shoulder as he said, "Well, I'm off. We'll see you around, Sasuke. Take care."

Sasuke watched the man turn and begin to walk away, only for Sasuke to quickly catch up to the man and shout, "Inochi-san! Wait!"

Inochi stopped and turned as he mumbled, "What?"

"Can . . . Would you be able to help me with her?" asked Sasuke, as he looked almost as desperate as he sounded.

Inochi blinked as he mumbled, "Say what?"

"If I ever need help, would you please help me with Kaiya?" said Sasuke as he stared the man down. "I have no idea what I'm doing, Inochi-san. "

Inochi stood there, shock on his face as he said, "Never in my life did I ever believe an Uchiha would come asking me for help . . ."

Sasuke's expression became deadpan as he grumbled, "It's not that shocking."

"Yeah, it is! Hah, ha. Ah, come on now. Don't look at me like that, son-in-law. You may not have any chakra or the Sharingan, but you're still as scary as hell when you look like that." chuckled Inochi as he smiled. "But, sure. Anytime you need help or just have a question, just ask, Sasuke. We'll always be here. Just knock on the door and we'll answer."

Sasuke nodded as he asked, "Even at three in the morning, when I can't get her to stop crying?"

Inochi grimaced as he rubbed his forehead and mumbled, "Uh, yeah . . ." he backed away as he said, "Let me get back to you on that."

The raven-haired man actually smiled as he looked down to the bundle in his arms, while Inochi laughed gleefully.

"Bring her over tonight, Sasuke. You can even stay over if you want. Mrs. Yamanaka and I will show you some tricks to helping colicky baby sleep."

Sasuke nodded as he said, "Thank you, Inochi."

"Not a problem."

_Maybe this is what he needs, _thought Inochi as he watched Sasuke gently comfort the baby as she fought against sleep. He smiled as he turned and walked away, to then glance back as he thought, _A rough road is ahead of you Sasuke, but you'll be okay. You and Kaiya both._

"Hey, Inochi-san!" greeted Naruto as he walked past, causing the elder Yamanaka to do a double-take.

Naruto could almost past as Minato's twin if it weren't for the fact that Naruto had his mother's face. It was good to see the knucklehead back. Minato and Kushina would both be proud.

"Naruto-san," greeted Inochi to the man.

"San?" uttered Naruto as he stopped and glanced back at the retreating man. He scratched his head as he watched Inochi walk on, to then shrug. "Yo, _teme_!" called Naruto as he continued toward the raven-haired Uchiha. "Hey! Look at that, Kaiya's still alive after three days! Way to go Sasuke!" he pat Sasuke's shoulder hard as he said, "You can care for a kid!"

Sasuke glared and hissed, "Go to hell, _dobe_."

Naruto reached for the baby as he said, "Let me hold her."

"Hell no!" snapped Sasuke as he quickly spun out of Naruto's reach. "I don't know where you're clumsy nasty hands have been."

"Wh-What! My hands are clean asshole!" stated Naruto with a scowl. He shoved his hands before Sasuke's face as he said, "See, SEE, teme! I washed them about three minutes ago! So let me hold her!"

"No," said Sasuke plainly as he kept an impassive expression.

"Oh come on, Sasuke! Let me freaking' hold her! I'm her Godfather damn it!"

Sasuke kept his impassive demeanor as he said, "Since when?"

"Since I said I was, _teme_!"

"I didn't say you could be her Godfather."

"I don't give a damn about what you say! I'm her Godfather!"

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"No."

"The hell I'm fucking not!"

"You're not, _dobe_."

"God damn it, Sasuke, I'll kick your fucking ass!"

"I'm not scared."

"I'm her Godfather."

"Are not."

"Are too!"

"You're not."

"AM TOO!"

"Fine."

"I am - Wait, did you just agree?"

"No."

"You fucking bastard! Put the baby down so I can kick your ass!"

"What kind of Godfather are you to talk like that in front of your Goddaughter?"

Naruto glared as his lips kept puckered in an angry pout. "Does that mean yes?"

"Hm."

"What was that? I don't speak Uchiha."

"YES! YOU'RE KAIYA'S GODFATHER, NOT STOP ANNOYING ME NARUTO!"

Sasuke looked as if he were ready to kill, as Naruto became all giddy as he punched the air and chuckled, "Yeah! That's right! I'm the Godfather! HOOYAH!"

"You're an idiot . . ." Sasuke sighed as he shook his head.

Naruto ignored Sasuke as he wiggled his fingers before Kaiya's wide eyes as he said, "Just wait, Kaiya, Uncle Naruto's gonna teach ya all sorts of awesome stuff! Just wait till I can start telling you stories about all the stupid stuff your dad did as a kid!"

"Naruto . . ."

"What?" said Naruto as he looked to Sasuke. "You did do a lot of stupid stuff, Sasuke, and she'll know what's up from an early age, 'cause of the villagers. She's gonna need friends and people to explain to her what's really up, because we don't need more people like us, Sasuke. We don't want the future to become the past."

A pregnant silence overcame them, for that silence to be broken when Sakura approached. She looked terribly tired with her long hair disheveled and her eyes weary. Though when Sakura neared the two men, a gentle smile graced her lips.

"Sasuke, Naruto."

"You look tired," commented Sasuke.

"I pulled doubles the past couple nights at the hospital." she sighed and moved her bangs from her face. "I haven't got much sleep, which, Sasuke, it looks like you haven't had much sleep either."

"I'm fine," he stated as he switched Kaiya to his other arm.

"Are you sure?" asked Sakura. "Maybe one night I can take Kaiya for you so you can get some rest."

"No, I'm . . ." Sasuke paused and looked up to Sakura. "Maybe, when she's older. The Yamanakas offered to help . . ."

"Oh, that's sweet, Sasuke!" cooed Sakura as she smiled brightly and giggled.

"Awe, teme's getting soft in his old age." teased Naruto. He then turned to Sakura as if he suddenly remembered something important as he shouted, "Oi! Oi! Guess what, Sakura-chan!"

"What?" she chortled as she crossed her arms.

Naruto pointed his thumbs to himself and proudly stated, "I'm the Godfather!" he threw his arms up as he said, "Ain't that awesome!"

Sakura turned to Sasuke with a deadpan expression. "You made him Godfather over Kaiya?"

"Hm."

"Well then," said Sakura dignified. "That makes me the Godmother then." She bent closer to the baby and softly said, "Don't worry, baby. I won't let these two idiots corrupt you. I'll show you how to knock some sense into them, and then heal them after so you can knock some more sense into them if needed."

Both men sweat dropped with their lips pursed in fear. Naruto forced himself to swallow as Sasuke's eyes remained round.

"Dude," muttered Naruto to Sasuke. "Do not let Kaiya EVER be alone with Sakura-chan too long."

Sasuke curtly nodded. "Already ahead of you, _dobe_."

"What was that boys?" questioned Sakura as she lifted her milky jade gaze to the two men's faces. Her visage was all too innocent.

Sasuke cleared his throat and looked away as Naruto nervously rubbed the back of his head and said, "Ahh . . . that you're going to be an excellent Godmother?"

"That's right." she replied.

"An awesome mother too. . . o-one day that is," added Naruto nervously as he placed his hands behind his neck.

Sakura smiled humbly, to then sigh. "So boys . . ." her features turned more nervous as she said, "Where are we going to talk?"

"Where we used to meet before we went out on missions." said Sasuke.

"The bridge," asked Naruto. "Is that still there after the reconstruction ten years back when Nagato destroyed it?"

Sakura nodded. "It's not the same exact bridge, but there's one there."

"I'm going to the Yamanakas' tonight. I'm sure they'll watch her while I meet you both there at sunset. It'll be a good time for them to begin bonding with her." said Sasuke as the baby began to fuss. He smiled down at the small dark-haired bundle as he said, "I have to go . . . Duty calls."

"Later, Sasuke." Called Naruto as both he and Sakura watched the last two Uchihas leave. Naruto smiled. "He's gonna be okay. The Uchiha will never be the same again, but I think the teme will make it."

"Who would have thought," mumbled Sakura. "Just a little baby can change everything so much. He actually smiles when he looks at her . . . he didn't even really smile at Ino like that."

"He didn't feel as if he deserved her . . ." said Naruto. He looked to Sakura and smiled as he said, "One day, I want to have a big family." He went back to watching Sasuke walk into the village as he said, "Not a huge one with like ten or twenty kids, but like four or five . . . That'd be cool."

Sakura nodded, her eyes scrunched in thought as she said, "I wouldn't mind a large family like that . . ." She smiled as she looked to Naruto and said, "I just have to find the right man to eventually start a family with."

Instantly Naruto pouted at her and whined, "That actually hurt, Sakura-chan!"

She laughed to then pinch his cheeks. "You're twenty-seven, _baka_. Quit making those childish faces."

Naruto's mature response was to stick his tongue out at her.

* * *

Night had fallen and a waning boat moon hung on the horizon. Sasuke kept leaned against the _torii_, as Sakura sat upon the blue bridge's rail with her legs hanging over. The wind blew, teasing her stray locks of hair and forcing them to tickle her face.

Naruto came running up and instantly began to apologize. "Sorry! I didn't mean to be late! Baa-chan had me undergo this stupid physical and tried to do some freaky thing that involved her trying to stick her finger up my-"

"It's a prostate exam, Naruto," laughed Sakura as she turned to him. She calmed her giggles as she said, "It's required for all _shinobi_ to have one done over the age of eighteen."

"Ain't no one sticking ANYTHING up my-"

"Let's get to the point of why we're here," said Sasuke as he rose from the post and strolled closer to his old teammates. He kept his arms crossed as he said, "Naruto, you remember what happened between us, right?"

"Yeah, you won," said Naruto impassively. "I could've sworn you killed Sakura though."

"I thought so too," stated Sasuke as he looked away from Naruto, and out to the moonlit water of the river. "I was very foolish then . . . thick-headed and thought to have been invincible. I didn't think anyone could take me on, and I truly believed that I would burn Konoha to the ground, but it was all an illusion . . . one that I created without even realizing it. That night after out battle, I thought I'd won, but I was fooled. Fooled by myself, and by her."

Sasuke turned his dark gaze to Sakura as she continued to sit there, staring at the moon. Naruto followed Sasuke's gaze as the woman's features slumped and she let out a sigh.

"The Toad defeats the Slug, as the Snake defeats the Toad, as the Slug defeats the Snake . . ." She lifted her feet and slid around to face her teammates as her pale face showed her turmoil. "That is how the game is played." Sakura hopped down from the ledge as she said, "That's how it was always meant to be . . . I knew it would end like that, that you couldn't face the burden of changing Sasuke all alone, Naruto. When we were children I was always the one in the way, watching both of your backs as you excelled far faster than I could . . . Instead of Naruto being the dead-last and holding the team back, it was me."

"Sakura-chan-"

"No, let me finish, Naruto." she softly pleaded as she stared at him glassy-eyed. "Every time I tried to step in and help, I'd only end up messing up and ending up having to be saved. I was weak . . . in both of your eyes, and I knew that I'd never make it to either of your levels . . ." she frowned as she brushed her bangs from her face and turned her gaze to the wooden planks of the bridge. "At least, I believed that at first. I figured that if other people could become powerful by hard work like Rock Lee, or sure dedication like Naruto . . . then I too could become powerful, even god-like as you two were.

"I planned everything," she said with a shake of her head as she began to pace. "I couldn't tell anyone what I was doing though . . . not even the Godaime. It was too risky because if she at all became worried, she would've told you, Naruto, and you would have tried to convince me not to try and get involved in trying to save Sasuke. So I kept quiet and done the only thing that seemed I could do. I researched. I read and studied everything I could find to try and gain some type of edge, and I did. The thing though that I needed to help me with my plans wasn't easy to get. I had to ask Tsunade-sama about one of her jutsus, and when I asked about it, she questioned me like I was a spy. I didn't know that the technique, Genesis Rebirth was a family jutsu, passed down from the Uzumaki clan to the Senju. I had to lie . . . tell her that I was just interested in learning how it worked, and she gave me all the required documents I needed to research the technique . . . and improve it.

"I just wasn't expecting you to freak out like you did, Naruto. I mean, I knew you'd get upset, but I thought you'd gotten over me because of how close you and Hinata grew to be after the event with Pain."

"I-It wasn't like that!" Naruto shouted in defense. "We just became closer friends! That's all!"

"Stop talking, Naruto, and let her finish." said Sasuke as he glanced at Naruto.

Sakura shrugged and said, "It didn't appear that way back then with you and Hinata . . . at least to me, it didn't. And it hurt. The affection you once held toward me, you shared with her, and the feelings I thought I only shared for Sasuke, were also for you. Only the affection toward you grew more and more every day as I began to worry more about you, as I began to miss you, and wonder what you were doing on the days you were gone off training with Killer Bee. I tried to hide the feelings I felt when you were around. I concealed it because it was war . . . We all had duties, and neither of us had time for some type of teenaged romantic bullshit on the battlefield, and I knew that you'd never give up on your promise . . . the promise that you made to me . . . the promise you made to Sasuke. I knew you'd never give up, even if it killed you." she turned her jade gaze to Naruto as she said, "And that's when I vowed to myself, that I would do everything in my power to help.

"I trained harder, to the point of exhaustion trying to build up my chakra, and began to work on a new jutsu . . . a revised version of Tsunade's family's technique. I turned it into my own." Slowly Sakura pulled down her shirt, exposing the top of her chest were centered above the valley of her breast was a five point star. "I improved the Genesis Rebirth." She let her shirt free, covering the mark as she said, "I have seals on various points on my body that store forty percent more chakra than Tsunade's original seal. It's dangerous, more dangerous than releasing the chakra gates . . . and the first time I activated the seals it didn't work. Basically, nothing happened. Through trial and error, I discovered how to activate the seals . . . I had to be at a near death state. When I finally accomplished the jutsu, Tsunade told me to never use it again, classified it as a Class S _jutsu, _and named it Angelic Retribution."

Naruto's eyes were round as he stared at Sakura, who looked away as she mumbled, "I finally had a trump card . . . one that I could use and no one would know about . . . One that I should've told you about. I couldn't risk it though . . . not when the opportunity came. I couldn't risk Sasuke finding out, so I found you both on the battlefield, and attacked him as rashly as I could so everything would play out as I planned. I needed him to kill me . . ." she looked to Naruto as she said, "And everything I told you that night was true, Naruto, because there was the chance that Angelic Retribution might not have worked . . . So I had to tell you everything . . . I had to pour my heart out just in case it didn't."

"It did though," stated Sasuke as he strolled closer. He looked to Naruto and said, "After we fought, it happened."

"What happened?" asked Naruto.

Sasuke looked to Sakura and said, "The angel of retribution awakened."

* * *

~ Ten Years Ago~

* * *

Sasuke stood before the crater as the chakra armored shield around him dissipated. He'd used up too much chakra playing with Naruto, way too much upon trying to kill the stupid bastard. Naruto wouldn't give up though, and it cost him his life trying to defeat the last Uchiha. Not even that knock off Madara, Tobi, stood a chance against him . . . Sasuke had become invincible.

Staring down into the crater where the beaten body of his ex-teammate lay motionless, Sasuke said, "You can't stop fate . . . Konoha's next."

Sasuke then turned and continued on his path. He paused when he felt life behind him . . . a very miniscule source of life. Damn _dobe_ didn't know when to give up . . . He scowled as he slid his hand along the hilt of his sword. The air stilled as the pressure slowly filled it. He grimaced as he turned to the battlefield, expecting to see Naruto begin to move around and start climbing his way from the crater, but it wasn't him.

Soft green tendrils of energy rose from Sakura's still form from various places on her form. The tendrils became violent as another energy spike vibrated the ground and pushed away from the very air. Sakura's body gained the soft green hue as the tips of the tendrils burned pink. The girl's defeated form arched, her eyes opening wide as she took in a deep gulp of air. Then, everything went white as the energy exploded.

Sasuke shielded his eyes. When he looked back to where Sakura once lay, his eyes widened. Weak and pathetic Sakura . . . She wasn't at their level. She was a worm; nothing. Sakura was never at their level . . . so who was this?

Glowing tribal lines appeared over her skin, shimmering between green and pink. The tendrils of energy congregated to her back, looking as ethereal wings. The girl looked like an angel, and for a moment, Sasuke was momentarily stunned. It was Sakura though . . . Same old pathetic Sakura . . . her fancy light show was nothing. She was nothing.

"Do actually believe you can defeat me?" questioned Sasuke impassively. "Once I'm done with you, Konoha will burn."

"You will not leave here, even if I have to kill you, Sasuke, I will make sure you never reach Konoha or harm anyone there!" stated Sakura as her eyes narrowed. She shifted, falling into a solid stance with her fist raised before her as she said, "I won't allow you to hurt anyone else."

"You can't defeat me," growled Sasuke to then sneer.

"We'll see about that," said Sakura as she narrowed her eyes in determination.

She charged forward with her fist cocked back and charged with chakra. Sasuke drew his sword within a heartbeat to block her fist, for the impact to shatter the blade. Quickly she ducked low and performed a low sweeping kick. Sasuke easily missed her leg strike but was hit full force by the wing-like energy tendrils. Once it hit him it took his breath. It was as if the air was knocked from his lungs as he backflipped away to stumble.

Sasuke rose his hand as he watched light blue tendrils of chakra wisp into the air to vanish. He looked to Sakura, watching the tendril absorb a larger portion of the blue chakra. She leeched his chakra . . . like a damn slug, she drained him of his most vital of needs.

"You bitch!" roared Sasuke as his chakra and killing intent flared. Chakra wrapped around him and began to reform as Uchiha's eyes burned red . . . for his vision to momentarily go black when a chakra flared fist crashed into his face. It sent him airborne, flying though the air with more of his chakra stolen. Stupidly he watched the world flash by . . . then the angel appeared. Sasuke crashed to earth before he even realized he was struck.

Sakura descended upon him, for her eyes to widen when a huge fireball roared to life below her. Her fingers smoothly and quickly went through the seals, and she vanished to be replaced by a large chunk of stone. Sasuke roared as he kicked the boulder away, causing it to shatter and scatter its remains all over the ground. His Sharingan eyes shifted into a different design as he searched the area for the girl. Jet black flames roared to life when he caught sight of her. Sakura ran as the flames of Amaratsu followed closely behind her. Sakura zigzag her way toward Sasuke, only for the girl to get caught into his flames. Once they touched her, it was over. The girl screamed as the black flames overcame her and burn her into nothing.

"Die! DIE!" shouted Sasuke as he stopped the black flames from conjuring and watched the burning Sakura collapse to the ground.

Something wasn't right though . . . As he stared at the flames, Sasuke noticed that it wasn't a girl burning within the black flames. It was a log of wood. Did she replace herself that fast to where his eyes didn't detect it? No . . . That couldn't have been!

"Over here, _teme_! Shannaroo!" shouted Sakura from behind him as Sasuke quickly turned, to watch Sakura's fist crash to the ground.

Instantly the ground rippled to then shatter and break apart. Sasuke growled as he leaped into the air as the ground below him quaked. The very ground reformed as water began to relentlessly flood the area from underground springs. Roots snaked from the ground as trees toppled over. Sasuke landed upon a tree trunk, to shout when he countered one of Sakura's kicks. He tried to block her left hook, only to take the force of one of Sakura's trademark chakra-induced punches to his gut. With the chakra dancing around her fist, when she pulled back it ripped more of his chakra from him. Sasuke screamed in pain as he doubled over. Sakura's knee collided with his face. Once again the tendrils lashed his skin, leeching away his chakra. What kind of _jutsu_ was this!

"Get away from me!" screamed Sasuke as he pushed her away. He stumbled back, to once again go flying when a roundhouse kick sent him airborne once more.

He hit the ground hard. Bones cracked and shattered, muscles refused his commands. It was hard to breathe. What was going on? This was Sakura . . . Naruto was the challenge and he defeated him! Sakura was nothing! She was nothing!

"Give up now, Sasuke, or I'll end up killing you." stated Sakura as she walked to him.

He spat blood at her, and said, "K-Konoha . . . will burn."

"I can end this with one more hit, Sasuke." said Sakura all too calmly as she showed him her fist. "Or I can just drain you of your chakra. Surrender and face punishment for your crimes."

"Never," he spat. "I'm Uchiha! I'm. . .invincible!"

Sakura shook her head. "No, you're not. You're at your limit. Naruto forced you to use up far more chakra than you intended to use . . . By me leeching more and you using high chakra amounts, you're done. You're defeated, Sasuke."

"Never," groaned Sasuke as he tried to push himself up. He smiled crazily as his eyes widened as he shouted, "Amaratsu!"

Sakura watched as his Sharingan eyes swirled . . . crimson was overcome by black. He began to laugh as he cried, "BURN! BURN EVERYTHING!"

She felt sorry for him . . . Sasuke's mind, it was gone. Sakura felt bad for him as he continued his crazy rant, believing that he was burning everything to nothing, when in fact he wasn't.

"I'll kill everyone! I'll destroy it all! Konoha will burn! I'll destroy it and everything it-" Sasuke was silenced when Sakura's decked him.

She watched him slump to the ground, defeated, deranged, and near death. She looked over the area as paranoia clenched at her. She messed up the area trying to catch Sasuke off guard and lost track of Naruto. Fear gripped her heart as she began to overlook the area, to gasp when her own energy suddenly began to drain. The tendrils shrunk as Sakura winced.

The shimmering lines of her form became dark as she collapsed to her knees, uttering, "No . . . not now, not now!"

Chakra swiftly vanished as her body suddenly became very heavy and numb. The numbness faded when the darkened lines retreated back into their seals . . . then the pain came. Sakura screamed as she felt the effects of the chakra overtake her battered form. Nerves twitched as her chakra system burned from being overloaded. It was the side effect of Angelic Retribution. A body not conditioned to contain and use high amounts of chakra would become vulnerable, weak, and damaged . . .

Sakura gasped as she felt her body start to shut down. She cried as she forced herself to move, forced herself to keep searching . . . It took mere moments for her to collapse to the ground as thunder rolled in the distance. She watched fat drops of rain hit the ground, as her eyes began to slowly drift closed. As the rain began to pour down, the world became pitch black to Haruno Sakura.

* * *

~Present~

* * *

"She won because I used up most of my chakra fighting you." Sasuke stated as he looked to Naruto. He looked away and admitted, "If you wouldn't have let your emotions get the best of you back then like you did, you could've won, Naruto. Sakura took that victory, along with the praise and hate of defeating me."

"What happened after all of that? How did we all get separated?" asked Naruto baffled.

"I rearranged the area, remember," said Sakura as she looked between Naruto and Sasuke. "When I did that, I must've partially buried you or rolled you someplace else . . . and it didn't help that a storm came in."

"A tropical storm," added Sasuke. "Kenjima found you far before Konoha did, and the other rescuers overlooked the area because, after Sakura's Impact, it made the area rugged and hard for ordinary people to search."

"That's when Konoha was called in, and they found Sasuke and me," said Sakura as she leaned back against the bridge's railing and propped her elbows upon it. "When they found us, Tsunade rushed over and had the entire area canvassed for you."

"They couldn't find you though," said Sasuke. "Sakura was taken back to Konoha for treatment, while I was heavily bound and sent to Kumo for punishment against the crimes I committed against them. They destroyed my chakra holes to where I can't mold chakra."

"You can't mold chakra," uttered Naruto in disbelief. "Why would they do that!"

"Out of mercy for you," said Sasuke as he stared Naruto in his eyes. "I was sure the Raikage was going to have me killed, but instead he made it so I could never use my chakra again.

"When I returned to Konoha, I believed I was going to be executed, but they didn't grant me that wish. Instead they took away the Sharingan . . . It can't even be passed on to my offspring, which I'm thankful for that. Sharingan is nothing but a curse, a curse that ended up destroying the Uchiha Clan.

"After they sealed my eyes, they threw me into prison for seven years. I was released when Kakashi took the Hokage's seat. I went through rehabilitation for a year . . . and for once in my life, felt remorse. I tried to apologize to Sakura on the first day I was released and allowed to wander around the village, but she hated me, because I was the one who killed you."

Sakura looked away and mumbled, "Nobody's perfect . . . and I was angry because no one would listen to me."

"Listen to you about what?" asked Naruto clueless.

"She believed that you were still alive when everyone else gave up hope." Sasuke crossed his arms and said, "It drove her mad for a while."

"I just felt that he was somewhere out there, waiting on me to find him," admitted Sakura.

Sasuke nodded. "And he was."

Sakura looked to Naruto. The night concealed her blush as she said, "Yeah . . . he was."

Naruto rubbed his head, causing his hair to tousle as he said, "Yeah . . . but I messed up everything by coming back . . . look at what happened to the village because of me."

"It's not your fault, Naruto." mumbled Sakura as she pushed up from the ledge and placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Everyone knew the risk, and even though there's been chaos, everyone is glad you're home."

Sasuke nodded. "We have to remember though that things can't go back, or change to how they used to be. All we can do is start over . . . we can all turn over a new leaf."

Silence overcame the trio as they accepted Sasuke's words. It was true . . . it was time to change. Time to grow up. Time to take a new step in life and move forward.

Naruto looked to Sasuke and Sakura as he said, "You're both my best friends . . . I love you guys . . ."

Sasuke walked to Naruto and embraced him as he said, "You were always my best friend, Naruto. Thank you for saving me," He looked to Sakura and said, "For both of you saving me."

Sakura's eyes leaked tears as she joined them in their group hug and whined, "I love you both too!" her grip tightened as she cried, "Even though you piss me off, I'd do anything for either of you!"

"Fuck you guys! You're making me cry!" pouted Naruto as he smiled and hugged them tightly.

"We're a family," muttered Sakura as she released them, letting the two men to regain their baring.

"We'll always be a family," stated Sasuke as he raised his hand out with his fist clenched.

Sakura met his fist with hers, for Naruto to then join his fist together with theirs as he said, "Family, teammates, and friends till the end."

"Till the end," said Sakura and Sasuke together as a soft wind blew, casing stray leaves around them.

* * *

**Notes: **And that's it. I did originally intend to take this further, but I had to end it here. I lost motivation all those years ago to continue and left a few plot holes. I had alot going on in life back then. Young kids, moving a lot, unpaid bills, no computer . . .

This was like my first fanfic that became popular. It got flames and love, and maybe it'll continue to do so.

Hope you enjoyed it.


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